


The Price You Pay

by SibillaScribbles08



Series: OC AU [3]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Dareth centered fic cause he deserves it, M/M, Ruta's back, and skullkin, there's animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-05-15 08:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19292197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SibillaScribbles08/pseuds/SibillaScribbles08
Summary: Dareth figured the biggest issue he’d face that day was getting the nerve to ask Ronin to dinner. Accidentally knocking over a cursed urn and releasing an old underworld curse was the last thing on his mind. But now with Ronin in a comatose and the ninja all out looking for Wu, Dareth’s the only one who can go out to find a cure for this.And he doesn’t have much time.





	1. Karma's Payment Plan

**Author's Note:**

> [Cover Art](https://ceata88.tumblr.com/post/185711461669/dareth-figured-the-biggest-issue-hed-face-that)
> 
> Knew for ages I wanted to make a Dareth focused fic because it's what he deserves so here we are. 
> 
> The fic is completed! It'll update Tuesdays and Thursdays

    “So, Ronin.” Dareth leaned against the wall and grinned. “The bar’s almost finished. Think it’s time to celebrate right? We should grab some dinner soon.”  
  
    The fire hydrant he was looking at didn’t reply, of course. It just stared back at him, somehow ominous under the city lights.   
  
    Dareth groaned and hung his head as he pushed away from the wall. “No, no, that’s too vague. It makes it sound like I just want to hang out as friends which I don’t.”   
  
    This shouldn’t be so difficult. Dareth came out here before the sun went down. The initial plan had been to walk into the pawn shop, ask Ronin if he wanted to go for a walk to see the sunset, then ask him out properly afterwards.  
  
    Yeah, that was a bust. Dareth’s nerves kept getting the better of him. He hadn’t done this properly in years and Ronin was such a wild card. Did the man even have an interest in dating? Dareth would swear he was being flirted with from time to time, but maybe that’s just how he treated all his friends.   
  
    He took a deep breath, trying to steel his nerves. Come on, what was the worst that could happen, he’d say no?  
  
    He’d say no, go on this trip he’d been planning for the past month, then never come back.   
  
    With the bar almost finished, Ronin said he was planning to go out and do some work again. He’d at least be gone a month, if not longer, why he was working on clearing out the stuff in his pawn shop. Dareth knew if he was going to ask it had to be before then. Maybe give Ronin a reason to come back.   
  
    Whatever, the fire hydrant certainly wasn’t going to have answers.   
  
    Dareth shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked down the rest of the street. He was still trying to think of what to say, how to word it. Part of his mind was screaming that he should just tell Ronin that he loved him. The more logical part said that was silly, they hadn’t even gone on a proper date yet.   
  
    Dareth loved Ronin’s company, but that didn’t mean he was in love with him.   
  
    The door to the shop was unlocked, so Dareth slipped inside, listening to the familiar bell chime above his head.   
  
    “Just a minute.” Ronin shouted from the back room.   
  
    Dareth glanced around. The front room wasn’t much emptier than usual, although some of the shelves had been reorganized. Ronin would probably stow it away last on the off chance a buyer wandered into the store. He did notice the stacks of boxes and objects at the end of the isles, however. Likely pushing it aside until later.   
  
    “Sorry about that.” Ronin pushed aside the sheet in front of the backroom door. “How can I–oh, hey there.” He flashed a smile, a genuine one, not the ones he used when he wanted to convince someone to pay twice as much for a forged painting. “Come to help me pack some stuff?”  
  
    Dareth chuckled. “I should, shouldn’t I. Return the favor for helping me with the bar.”   
  
    “Or you can just give me cash.” Ronin shrugged, but the look in his eye told Dareth he was joking. “But if that’s not the reason, why are you here?”  
  
    “What? I need a reason?” Dareth scoffed as he stepped further inside. Where was something to fiddle with? The closest objects were all weapons.   
  
    “There’s always a reason. Thinking about more decorations? I’m out of trophies for that case.”  
  
    “No, Ronin.”  
  
    “Or was the lighting on the karaoke stage not enough. I could probably tinker with a few I have back here.”   
  
    “Ronin.” Dareth raised his voice just enough to interrupt. “I just came here to ask you something.”   
  
    The man seemed taken off guard for a moment as he blinked. “Oh, well what is it then? You could have just called, you know.”   
  
    Right, he could have done that. He felt a bit silly about it, but these things were better done in person, right?   
  
    “Well, uh,” he rubbed his neck. There were his nerves again. “You know, the bar’s almost done. Opening night is soon.”  
  
    Ronin raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt.  
  
    “Just thought we should uh, celebrate. Maybe go get dinner sometime.”   
  
    “Sure?” He tilted his head a bit. “Still not sure why you came all the way out here for that. Do you always make a big deal out of asking you friends to hang out?”  
  
    “Well, that’s the thing.” Dareth gritted his teeth for a moment. “I don’t... want to go as just friends.”   
  
    The confusion fled Ronin’s face as he blinked. Then his cheeks turned pink before he glanced away. “Oh.”   
  
    “Are you blushing?”  
  
    “No.” Ronin said too quickly as he turned further away.  
  
    Dareth grinned, his nerves easing up as he stepped over. “You are!”   
  
    “Shut up, you caught me off guard.” He waved a hand to keep Dareth from getting too close.   
  
    “But is that a yes or a no?”   
  
    Ronin rubbed his cheek, clearly trying to get the blush to subside. “Only if you promise not to break my leg again.”   
  
    “Still bitter about that?”  
  
    “You would be too if it happened to you.”   
  
    “Fine, then dinner’s on me.”   
  
    “If you’re asking me out I would hope so.” Ronin pointed at him. “Give me just a few minutes to finish packing this box and we can head out.”   
  
    Dareth grinned and nodded, worried that if he tried to talk it’d just come out as a squeak from all the giddiness in his chest.   
  
    “And don’t touch anything.” Ronin shouted as he disappeared into the back room.   
  
    He just shook his head as he began to move among the shelves. No matter how many times he came in here there always seemed to be something new. The daggers, for example. One had some engravings on the hilt. Dareth took a moment to glance at the blade, spots of rust along the back. He slid it back in the sheath before putting it up.  
  
    He continued to inspect the items, some of them familiar. He smiled at the box of records Ronin kept in the corner and ignored the urge to dig through them. Not like he needed any more of those for the time being. Hell, if Ronin was leaving he might just give them to Dareth.   
  
    Still, he wiggled his way past some boxes and a nightstand to look into the crate. As soon as he leaned over, however, he felt his leg bump into the stand. He heard something wobble and looked back in time to see the dark, ceramic urn tilt and fall to the ground.   
  
    It shattered. Dareth’s heart stopped as he glanced at the door and then back to the broken pieces on the ground. Among it was some kind of grey dust. Possibly someone’s ashes. Cool.  
  
    “What was that?” Ronin called.  
  
    “Nothing.” Dareth lied, although it was probably obvious. He knelt down to try and gather up the big pieces with his hands. Then he could sweep up the rest.  
  
    He felt air brush past his fingers and he paused. The ashes were moving, swirling up into the air. He held his breath as he moved away. The swirl of dust got thicker, the wind causing the shelves to rattle.   
  
    Bit by bit the silver material seemed to take form, boney looking hands and arms leading up to a skull. It’s eye sockets lit up, a deep purple, the teeth in it’s jaw were sharp.   
  
    Dareth swore he was too scared to move. Then the creature used the ashes to form swords in its hands before it roared.  
  
    Dareth screamed. He hit the ground first as the sword slashed through the air, shredding the wooden shelves. The debris hit his arms, but he ignored it. He scrambled to his feet and tried to dart to the other side of the room.   
  
    “Dareth!”  
  
    Ronin slammed into his side and sent them both to the ground. Dareth stopped cringing long enough to see the ash sword drive itself through the wall.   
  
    “Come on.” Ronin was already back on his feet, dragging Dareth with him. He dragged him toward the front door, both of them sprinting out and slamming it behind them.  
  
    That wasn’t the end of it. Ronin kept moving up the street. Thankfully this part of town was empty as this hour.  
  
    “What did you do?” Ronin shouted.  
  
    “I just knocked over a vase.” Dareth protested, having trouble keeping up.   
  
    “You mean the cursed urn?”  
  
    “Why do you have a cursed urn sitting around in your stupid shop?”  
  
    “To sell it you dumb ass!”   
  
    “I’m the dumb ass? You’re the one with a cursed object just sitting–”   
  
    There was another roar followed by the shattering of glass and wood. Dareth glanced back to see the monster ripping out of the pawn shop. The dust from it’s body swirled into a cloud as it locked its eyes onto them.  
  
    “Why is it chasing us?”   
  
    “I don’t know.” Ronin tried to move faster. “Because you knocked it over? Some vengeful ghost bullshit?”  
  
    “I’ve seen ghosts, Ronin, that’s not a ghost.”   
  
    “Well it’s not human!”   
  
    Wind rushed past their legs. Dareth glanced down to see the ashes swirling along the road before it began to build up in front of them. They both skidded to a halt.   
  
    “Okay, running’s not an option.” Ronin said that but still spun around. He practically pulled Dareth off his feet.  
  
    Good thing too, the monster swung its sword again, and Dareth was narrowly out of its reach.   
  
    “Then what do we do?” Dareth asked when he regained his footing. “How do we stop it?”  
  
    “I don’t know.” Ronin hissed. “I haven’t taken the time to research it, and all my stuff is still in the shop.”   
  
    “Then–” Dareth screamed as a sword rushed past his head. “Wh-what do we do?”  
  
    “You knocked it over, it’s after you. Think you can manage to distract it?”  
  
    Dareth sputtered. “What? That giant thing? Are you serious?”  
  
    “You’re the one always gloating about your success as the brown ninja.”  
  
    “Ronin you know better than anyone how much I bluff.”   
  
    “Just don’t get hit.” Ronin jerked him out of the way of another sword. “You’re good at that.”  
  
    Dareth didn’t get a chance to argue. Ronin let go of his hand and sprinted back toward the ruined pawn shop.   
  
    Dareth made the mistake of glancing back. The monster was rushing after him, swords in its hands again. Where did it keep getting those from?   
  
    It was fast, so fast. Dareth barely ducked out of the way of another hit. He managed to at least roll away from it, some of the ashes going up his nose. He coughed. Why did it sting so bad?   
  
    It stabbed the ground next to him, or did it? The sword seemed to collapse against the concrete, but Dareth didn’t take the time to debate if it would do the same against his skin. He ran to the side. Another sword cut him off. Wait, when did it get four arms?  
  
    It aimed to stab him. Dareth ducked to the side only to feel something cold wrap around his arm. He tried to jerk away, but its grip was too strong as it lifted him up.  
  
    Dareth screamed, kicked the air. It didn’t little to help him get free. He glanced back at the monster which now held him at eye level.   
  
    It raised its sword.  
  
    A gunshot went off. The bullet cut through its arm, making the ashes dissipate. Dareth screamed as fell back toward the ground. He landed on his side, coughing as the air flew out of his lungs.   
  
    It roared again. Dareth rolled over to get a visual on it, watching it move toward him as its arm reformed. He tried to move away, but couldn’t get his footing in order to run.   
  
    It aimed to stab him once more.   
  
    He foolishly squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain, the burning, or whatever it was. There was no way to move away in time, after all.   
  
    But he didn’t feel anything. Something hit the ground. Only then did he open his eyes to glance around.   
  
    Ronin lay only a couple feet in front of him, that deep purple glowing on his back from what looked like a stab wound.  
  
    “Ronin?” Dareth didn’t even consider that the monster was still hovering in front of them as he scrambled over to him. His hand hovered next to the wound before he thought better of it. He pulled the man onto his lap, turning him over. “Ronin?”   
  
    The man was staring at the sky, the corner of his eye going dark. The pain on his face was obvious. “Don’t freeze next time, damn it.”   
  
    The wind swirled around him. He looked up, expecting the monster to attack again, but instead its eyes went dull. The ashes crumbled before they hit the  ground, rushing up into another cloud.   
  
    He felt Ronin start to go slack in his arms and his panic returned. “Ronin? Hey, no, you can’t–Ronin?” He put a hand on his cheek, trying to get the man to look at him but his gaze stayed unfocused.   
  
    Slowly that same dark purple crept over his eye. His breathing slowed, to a point Dareth swore it stopped. He pressed his ear to the man’s chest, finally picking up on a heartbeat.   
  
    So he wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t moving? Just what the hell was this?  
  
    Dareth looked back up at the ashes scattered on the road, moving with the faint breezes that went down the street.   
  
    Didn’t matter what it was right now. The shop was in ruins and Ronin got hurt, maybe he was dying.  
  
    And it was all Dareth’s fault.


	2. Loan Me a Dime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know at least two people missed Ruta

    “Come on, come on, there has to be something.” Dareth tossed the book aside and moved onto the next one. He was in the remains of Ronin’s pawn shop right now, after taking his injured friend to the space above his bar. He doubted a hospital could do much to help. The injury wasn’t bleeding, just glowing, along with his eye. Dareth hoped he’d wake up after a while, but it didn’t happen.   
  
    Cursed urn, right? So it must have cursed him, not killed him. But why? And how was he supposed to fix it?   
  
    He tried going through Ronin’s stock lists to find the item, but that alone didn’t tell him any of the details. Ronin snagged it from an estate sale. It was ancient, estimated that the ashes were from someone who died a century and a half ago. That’s all the stock list told Dareth.  
  
    So he dug through the other books one by one, but a couple were in a language he couldn’t even read. The rest gave him nothing on what kind of curse this would be. How did Ronin even know it was cursed?  
  
    Not like Dareth could ask him now.  
  
    He sighed and ran his hand through his now messy hair as he dropped the book. What time even was it? He hadn’t bothered sleeping after the incident.   
  
    Was there anyone to contact about this sort of thing? He’d try the ninja but they weren’t even in town right now, all of them off on their own leads to find Master Wu. They at least told Dareth that much before they left. The only person still around was–  
  
    He rushed to pull out his phone, scanning to see if he even had her number. No, but there was a contact for The Bounty. That could work, right?  
  
    Dareth called the number, praying it went through as he paced the floor. His feet kicked against broken pieces of wood and scattered weapons. It looked so eerie at this late hour, moonlight slipping in from the giant hole in the wall.  
  
    Someone picked up after the second ring.  
  
    “Hello?” Pixal said. “Dareth?”  
  
    He laughed, ignoring the lump in his throat as he ran his hand through his hair again. “Pixal, thank goodness, you did answer.”  
  
    “Dareth, unless this is an emergency–”  
  
    “It is.” He said quickly. “I promise I wouldn’t... Okay maybe I would call to chat but I swear this isn’t that.”   
  
    “Then what is it? You are aware all the ninja are off on missions for the time being.”  
  
    He sighed, not liking the reminder. “Look, how much do you know about curses or dark magic?”  
  
    Her tone went flat. “What did you do?”   
  
    He flinched. “Uh, well, I don’t know if I’d entirely say it’s my fault?” No, it was, it absolutely was. “This urn in Ronin’s shop broke and this uh, monster came out. It hurt Ronin and now he won’t wake up. I don’t... I don’t know what to do.” His voice started going quiet.   
  
    “Is the monster still there?”  
  
    “No, after it struck Ronin it fell apart.” Dareth looked over where he dumped the ashes he scraped up from the street, just in case. He’d put what he could into a spare jar. “Some kind of revenge curse, maybe? I’ve been going through his stuff but I haven’t found anything helpful. I didn’t know if you or the ninja knew something.”   
  
    He heard some light muttering on the other end before Pixal’s voice returned. “Mistaké’s shop has been shut down for the past couple of weeks, no word on her location. That only leaves... one other expert that we know of.”   
  
    Dareth wasn’t sure he liked that tone. “Who?”  
  
    “A witch living in the toxic bogs, her name is Ruta.”  
  
    He frowned, not familiar with the name in the slightest. “Bad history?”   
  
    “You could say that. Our attempts to gather information from her in the past resulted in Cole being cursed and almost killed.”  
  
    He let out a nervous laugh. “Well that hardly sounds like someone I can ask for help from.”  
  
    “She attacked Cole because he threatened her. She’s not an ally by any means, but as far as I know she’ll trade magic or information for something else in exchange. I imagine there’s some things in Ronin’s shop you can use.”  
  
    “Yeah but...” Dareth shook his head. “You’re telling me to just walk out there to someone unpredictable and hope she doesn’t decide to destroy me too?”   
  
    “Without a location on Mistaké I do not know anyone else even remotely trustworthy who could give you any details.” Pixal said. “I can try my own research from here, but I can’t guarantee how far it will go. It’s up to you if you wish to take the risk or not.”   
  
    “Right, okay. Call me if you find something?”  
  
    “I will.” Pixal said and then hung up without a good-bye.  
  
    Dareth tried not to take it personally as he put his phone away. What did he do now? Try and find this witch?   
  
    No way, that was too dangerous. He’d just try to wait out for Pixal to find something better. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked back home, not even bothering to use the door of the shop anymore.   
  
    He wasn’t a ninja, not really. Despite all his gloating he wouldn’t stand a chance if this witch decided he wasn’t worth talking to.   
  
    He stared at the ground the whole walk home, occasionally flinching from a harsh breeze. Maybe he was more tired than he thought.   
  
    When he got back to the bar and headed upstairs he checked on Ronin. He was letting the man use his bed while Dareth would sleep on the couch. Probably better, right?   
  
    Nothing changed, or at least it didn’t seem like it at first. That same purple glow was faint in the room from where Ronin’s eye stayed open. Dareth stepped closer, ignoring the urge to fix Ronin’s hair.  
  
    Then he froze, his chest going tight. There were black lines starting to form from his eye, twisting like blood veins.   
  
    It was getting worse.   
  
    Dareth grit his teeth and spun on his heel, back toward the door.   
  
    This wasn’t the time to be a coward. He couldn’t just wait for something safer to come along. Ronin needed his help. This man was in this mess because of him.  
  
    He needed to get back to the shop and find something to trade.  
  
$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$  
  
    Dareth didn’t head out to the bogs until the next morning. No point in wandering around a place with acidic water in the dark.  
  
    Not that the daylight made it much safer, just easier to navigate.  
  
    He kept his eyes on the ground, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. The exhaustion was hitting him hard, or perhaps it was the fumes making his eyes burn. At least by now the scent of vinegar and rotten wood had become normal.   
  
    Just how was he supposed to find Ruta, anyway?   
  
    Pixal didn’t exactly give him directions, just a general location. Did she have a house or something out here? The haze in the air made it hard to see very far. He was pretty sure by now he’d gone in a circle.   
  
    “Ugh, I don’t have time to waste on this.” Dareth sighed as he looked around. There were a lot of hollow trees in this area, the thick trunks reaching up toward the sky. By now most of their branches had fallen off. Some of them had holes big enough for Dareth to look into, but it’s not like it gave him any clues.  
  
    This better not be hopeless.   
  
    He shook his head and went to keep moving, but his feet wouldn’t follow. He glanced down to see them sinking into the ground.  
  
    Uh oh.  
  
    Dareth tried not to panic, just gently pull his legs out, but he only sunk faster and faster. He tried to grab onto the dirt but that shifted around him as well.  
  
    Dareth got ready to hold his breath, but as soon as his face slipped under the dirt it emerged again. He felt himself falling for a brief moment before he landed on his stomach. The dirt under his palms felt damp. Did he smell fertilizer?  
  
    He forced himself up, ignoring the pain in his stomach. It swore he was about to puke as he sat up.   
  
    He caught a glimpse of pale robes and his gaze shot up further. A young woman looked down at him, brown hair a matted mess. Even the thin braids in her hair had strands poking out.   
  
    But her blue eyes seemed to glow in the low light, much like the mushrooms growing out of the wall.   
  
    She smiled at him. “If you were looking for me, you could have just called my name.”   
  
    Dareth narrowed his eyes. “Are you Ruta?”   
  
    “I’m so glad you’ve heard of me.” She put a hand on her chest before she turned and began to walk down the hall. “Good to know my name is getting around.”  
  
    Dareth scrambled to his feet to follow after her. “Look, I’m not here to kick up a fuss I just want–”  
  
    “I know what you want.” She glanced back at him, eyes completely blue now. “And I know how you can get it. That’s why you came right? Answers?”   
  
    Dareth couldn’t reply for the time being. He just stared as she began to head down the hall again.   
  
    “I was tending to the plants when I noticed you. Talk while we walk.” She gestured for him to follow.   
  
    He took another glance at the walls before he kept moving. Bit by bit the hall got less narrow. He noticed now the rows of plants next to the wall. After a while it all opened up into a room, light pouring in from holes in the ceiling. Looking at them closer he could see parts of the trunks of the hollow trees. In the lit areas were small garden plots, growing plants he’d never even seen before.   
  
    “I said talk while we walk, not stare into the void.” Ruta knelt down next to one bush, plucking off a few dead branches.   
  
    Dareth shook his head, trying to refocus himself. “Um, last night I might have let out a curse? An evil spirit? I’m not so sure right now. It happened when this urn of ashes broke and this creature made of them tried to attack us.”  
  
    Ruta turned to look at him and stood back up. “Ashes? Did you bring them?”  
  
    Dareth dug into his bag to pull out the jar of the ones he collected and handed it over. “Ronin got it from some kind of estate sale. He told me he knew it was cursed, but if he knew the details he didn’t tell me.”  
  
    Ruta opened the jar and tilted it once or twice before sticking her finger in it.   
  
    “It was after me, but ended up striking Ronin. It put him in some weird coma and I think the curse–”  
  
    She lifted her hand and put some of the ashes in her mouth.  
  
    Dareth froze, hands still hovering in the air from his gesturing. “What are you doing?”  
  
    “Figuring out what it is.” Ruta smacked her lips for a moment before she began to walk again. “It’s certainly riddled with dark magic.”  
  
    He moved to follow her, but kept his distance.  
  
    “You said Ronin is unconscious? Any notable features?”  
  
    Dareth scratched his neck while he tried to figure out what she meant by that. “His eyes turned purple, so did the sword mark on his back. There seems to be something black moving through his veins now too.”   
  
    “Ah,” Ruta hummed. “I think I see now.”  
  
    She didn’t say anything else as they kept moving. Eventually the underground tunnels gave way to a larger room. There were vines all over the walls and a table sat in the center. It looked like there were all kinds of dry plants and powders in jars resting on it, a few bowls in the center.   
  
    Ruta moved over to the wall, resting her hand against the plants. They began to shift and curl, and after a few seconds they opened up, holding out a book.   
  
    Quite the intricate set up she had.   
  
    “Hmm, yup.” Ruta came over to hand Dareth the book. “A curse of the underworld.”  
  
    He looked at the page, only to see it written in a language he didn’t understand. “Uh, what does this say?”  
  
    She took it back, glancing it over. “Do you want the long version or the short version.”  
  
    “I don’t exactly have a lot of time to waste.”  
  
    “True, true.” She did a couple of twirls as she walked around the room, turning the pages. “In history, the underworld realm was just as regarded as the realm of the departed. In fact, the connection was enough that travel and even trade between realms was done.”  
  
    Dareth frowned. This sounded like the long version. “How?”  
  
    “Ever been to the fire temple? There’s a portal there, straight to the underworld. There used to be even more back when the First Spinjitzu Master was still here. Alas.” She sighed and shook her head. “The point is a lot of access to the underworld was cut off when people discovered all the... necromancer access.” She gave him a sly smile before looking away.  
  
    Dareth scratched his head. “I’m not sure I know where this is going.”  
  
    “Back when those ashes were made, the curse placed on them was to ensure people wouldn’t try and use their body or even their ashes for dark purposes. If anyone were to touch them, the spell would trigger and not stop until it hit a target, in this case, the man of your affection.”   
  
    Dareth sputtered. “Hey, how did you–”  
  
    Ruta’s eyes glowed blue as she stared at him, grinning. “Fortunes later, Dareth. We have more important things to worry about.” She flipped a few more pages before dropping the book on the table. “And you only have so much time.”   
  
    “Is there even a way to fix this?”  
  
    “There’s a way to fix everything, the chances of success just vary.” She stepped over to him. “I already know you brought something to pay me with, but there’s a few more stipulations you should know about.”  
  
    He stepped back. “Such as?”  
  
    “First, I don’t have everything I need to make the cure. A spell based on the underworld requires something from it in order to fix it, and realm traveling is a hassle. Access to the realm crystal is strictly forbidden, so you only have one way in right now.”  
  
    “Hang on,” Dareth laughed and held up his hands. “You’re telling me I have to go into the underworld? From the fire temple?”  
  
    “I need a plant that only grows there.” Ruta moved back to the wall of vines to retrieve another book. She flipped through the pages before showing it to him. The flower rested on a tall stalk, multiple blossoms on it. The color of them was a deep purple, and what looked like red veins on it. “Said to be able to revive the dead when used right. You have to bring me the whole plant, for this spell it’s the petals I’ll need.”  
  
    Dareth frowned. “So why bring you the whole plant?”  
  
    “Extra payment.” She grinned. “Free materials for me.”   
  
    He tried not to be annoyed by that idea. “Okay, so let’s say I do go to the underworld, get this plant, and not die. How long do I have to do this?”  
  
    “How far was the black in his skin when you last checked?”   
  
    “It was down to his cheeks this morning.”   
  
    Ruta nodded a few times. “I’d say you have about three days.”  
  
    “Th-three days?” Dareth shouted. “You can’t be serious. Making it to the fire temple is going to take long enough as it is. Then I have to crawl my way through an army of skeletons and who knows what else? I don’t–I can’t–”  
  
    His panic was returning as his thoughts swirled.   
  
    “You get this plant, or Ronin dies.” Ruta’s eyes glowed again. “There are many paths, but in the end those are the only two possible outcomes.”   
  
    Right, Dareth had to do this. He had to make it to the underworld and back.  
  
    But could he? He didn’t have powers, barely any combat skill. He wasn’t actually a ninja. All of it just seemed like a lost cause. He was doomed to fail. He’d die in the process and then Ronin would soon follow after.   
  
    Would he really just sit back like coward and let his best friend die? No, he had to try. Even if he failed he had to try or he’d never be able to look Ronin in the eye again.   
  
    But still...  
  
    “Is there anything you can give me?” Dareth asked.  
  
    Ruta blinked, the glow vanishing from her eyes. “Hm?”  
  
    “A power up, some spells, something? I don’t know how to use weapons. I barely know how to fight. You have a ton of magic knowledge right? There has to be something.”   
  
    She was smiling again. “This is why I like you Dareth, more on the unpredictable side. But actually,” the glow returned. “I know just the thing. It should almost guarantee your success, in fact.”   
  
    He raised an eyebrow, knowing what they said about things that sounded too good to be true. “Really?”   
  
    “Yup, pretty simple spell too. I just need an object to enchant.”   
  
    “What’s the catch?” Dareth narrowed his eyes. “And don’t tell me there isn’t one. I won’t believe you.”  
  
    Ruta shrugged. “All spells come with a price, Dareth, it’s the nature of the beast. Whether it’s expending objects, herbs, or damaging yourself everything has a price.”  
  
    “That doesn’t answer my question.”  
  
    She seemed to pout for a moment before her gaze darted to the side. “The spell would allow you to communicate with animals, of all kinds, the additional plus of having an easy time gaining their trust. But if you keep the charmed object on for too long, it’ll destroy your voice. Won’t be able to talk again.”   
  
    “So couldn’t I just take the object off?”  
  
    “Take it off, lose the spell, animals could go hostile, haven’t tested it.” She shrugged again.   
  
    That sounded like a heavy risk. Besides, how was talking to animals supposed to ensure his success? Just what was she seeing that he couldn’t?   
  
    If Dareth lost his voice he assumed that not only meant no speaking but no singing either.   
  
    She must have noticed the hesitation on his face. “The choice is yours if you want to take it. The future is always decided by the choices we make. It just depends how much you’re willing to risk in order to get him back.”   
  
    Right.  
  
    Ronin, for whatever reason, risked his life to save Dareth. He had to be willing to do the same.  
  
    “Okay,” Dareth said. “I’ll do it. What do you need?”  
  
    Ruta grinned at him, eyes flashing for a moment before returning to normal. She held out her hand.  
  
    “I think that necklace of yours will do nicely.”


	3. Fools Gold

    Well this was already off to a terrible start.  
  
    Dareth should have known, of course. That’s just how his luck was. Perhaps he should have paid for a charm as well before he left that witch’s hideout.   
  
    He drove his bike back to Ninjago to pick up supplies, although leaving the bogs had been nothing short of unsettling. That power Ruta gave him already kicked in, leaving the whispering of snakes and even insects dancing in his ears. They didn’t seem to talk about anything in particular, but it was strange to hear none the less.   
  
    Sadly, in his rush to grab some easy food, water, and Ronin’s GPS, he forgot to refuel his bike.  
  
    He was feeling the regret of that decision when it finally petered out halfway there.   
  
    That meant a trip that should have just taken him until nightfall was likely going to take an entire extra day. Maybe he could cut it shorter if he sprinted but there’s no way he had the stamina for it.  
  
    But going back would just waste time he didn’t have. There was nothing to do but keep moving.   
  
    At least he was wearing his walking shoes. The GPS was also a blessing. Hell, if he was going on foot at least he could just cut through the mountain path instead of sticking to the road. Not sure how much time that would actually save him, however.  
  
    The hike was long and tedious. He tried to focus on the occasional flower or wildlife to distract himself. The trees provided decent shade from the sun, but it didn’t stop him from over heating on occasion. No doubt he’d need to refill his water as soon as he found a stream. Hell, he might want to stop there. The sun was on it’s way down and he’d want some kind of shelter for the evening.   
  
    But as it was, he kept moving.   
  
    He tried to find other distractions when he wasn’t checking his surroundings or the map. Tried to think about new menu ideas for the bar he hadn’t even opened. Tried to think of new songs to put in the juke box. That just had his mind remembering when they first got it up and running. He’d pulled Ronin into a dance. None of the tables or chairs were on the floor yet, leaving plenty of space. They didn’t keep the rhythm very well, laughing as they spun around the room.   
  
    Dareth should have confessed back then. Maybe then they could have avoided all of this.  
  
    He wasn’t even certain he’d get another chance to dance with Ronin now, singing along to whatever song was playing.   
  
    He found himself humming along to the tune in his head, allowing himself to smile as he checked the map and his surroundings once more. He’d noticed how quiet it was out here. There was so much chatter in the bogs but out here there was just the occasional whistle from a distant bird. The spell hadn’t worn off or something had it? The necklace was still around his neck.   
  
    Whatever, the less weird voices the better.  
  
    His humming turned into singing, somewhat to block out the silence. Better to listen to his own voice than nothing at all.   
  
    But after a while it was interrupted when he heard voices. They were a bit high pitched, coming from somewhere in the trees.  
  
    “Oh he’s toast.”  
  
    “How has he not noticed?”  
  
    Dareth looked up to the branches, not seeing the source.  
  
    Hot air rushed past his neck.  
  
    He froze. His heart pounding in his chest. Bit by bit he turned, slowly getting a view of brown fur, ears, and then the snout of the creature that was almost as tall as he was on all fours.  
  
    A bear.  
  
    Dareth screamed and scrambled back. He hit a nearby tree. He tried to turn to sprint but his foot caught on a root and he landed on his stomach instead. The air got knocked out of him. He tried to sit up, but by now the bear was close again, nose in his face. Its eyes were dark, unreadable. The patch of fur around its left eye was paler than the rest.   
  
    “D-don’t eat me?” Dareth tried, holding his hands up.   
  
    The creature tilted its head. “You speak a familiar tongue. Unusual for a human.”  
  
    Right, ability to talk to animals. How did he already forget about that? “Uh, yeah, magic stuff. Am I in your territory or something? I can uh, leave... no trouble right?” He laughed, praying upon praying this creature was actually as calm as it looked.  
  
    “You sing nice.” It said. “Also something in your bag smells good.”   
  
    “Huh?” Dareth reached around for his bag, opening and glancing through the pockets. In one of them was a bundle of grapes he’d stored into a baggy to snack on during the trip.  
  
    “These?” He pulled them out.   
  
    The bear gave them a sniff. “Ah, yes, those.”  
  
    “You can uh, have them if you want.” Dareth opened the bag before handing it over again. The creature stuck its nose inside, carefully pulling out the bundle and dropping it on the ground. It flopped down, keeping the fruit in place with the tips of it’s claws as it plucked the berries off.   
  
    Well, at least Dareth felt a little less terrified now. Of course, there was no telling if this animal would decide to attack him later or not. “You have a name? My name’s Dareth. Just trying to pass through the area.”  
  
    “My name is–” Well, the bear said something, but Dareth couldn’t seem to translate the sounds. It didn’t even sound like a foreign language.  
  
    “Sorry, what?” He tried to clear out his ears.   
  
    “I said it’s–” No good, the same sound came out.   
  
    “Okay, magic translator can’t seem to work on that one. Can you tell me what it means?”   
  
    The bear ate a few more grapes before reply. “Bright stone of the earth. Something along those lines, I imagine.”   
  
    Bright stone of the earth? That could be a number of things. Dareth though for a moment, his hand idly playing with his necklace. Something about it felt heavier now, but at least it wasn’t enough to bother him.   
  
    He glanced down at the metal, watching it glint in the forest sunlight.   
  
    “Pyrite.” He said, sitting up straight.   
  
    The bear seemed to stare through him.   
  
    “Pyrite is a stone. It’s kind of like this.” He gestured to his necklace. “Very shiny. Do you think that works?”  
  
    “I suppose it can suffice.” Pyrite finished off the grapes and left the stem on the ground. “You said you are trying to pass through? Where are you going?”   
  
    “South.” Is what Dareth said before taking a moment to point in the right direction. “I have to get to the fire temple, er, the volcano place.”   
  
    Pyrite stood. “I know of it, though most of those in the forest do not tread there.”   
  
    “Yeah, don’t blame you.” Dareth joked. “But I don’t have an option.” He stood himself, glad this whole mess when over smoothly. “Thanks for uh, not mauling me. I’ll be on my way.”   
  
    He began to head back on his path, checking the GPS, but only a few seconds in he realized he was being followed. He glanced back at Pyrite who still seemed to be staring through him.   
  
    “Yes?” Dareth asked.  
  
    “I have never met a human who speaks a familiar tongue.” Pyrite sniffed at him again. “I am curious. Perhaps this is a chance to learn. Besides, the food is appreciated. Perhaps I can assist in your travel.”   
  
    Dareth wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but didn’t want to outright reject him either. “I... are you sure? I mean I’m not... I don’t think I’d be much help.”   
  
    The bear seemed confused, although it was hard to tell. They didn’t emote much like people did. “Of course not? I’m assisting you, not the other way around. I’m sure you can assist in other ways. There’s likely a town we shall pass. You can gather me some more easy fruit.” Pyrite brushed past him and headed along the path. “And it is getting late, you wish to stop for the night, yes? I have a den not far from here. You can borrow it.”   
  
    “Seriously?” Dareth darted to catch up. “I mean, that’d be super awesome. Thanks.”   
  
    “Thank me later with more food.” Pyrite’s ear twitched. “And answer me a few questions.”  
  
    “Like what?”   
  
    “These.” Pyrite shoved his nose against Dareth’s sleeve. “What are they for?”  
  
    Dareth raised an eyebrow. “Clothes?”   
  
    “I believe so, yes.”   
  
    “Well unlike you, humans don’t have a bunch of fur.” He resisted the urge to poke it. It looked soft. “We need other ways to keep warm.”  
  
    “But it is not cold out.”  
  
    “Not to you.” Dareth joked. There were other reasons, of course, but he doubted he had the capacity to explain style and fashion to a bear.   
  
    “You build complicated dens as well. What is that for?”  
  
    “Well, I’m sure there’s a number of reasons houses got so crazy. See, humans have this thing about convenience and comfort so...”   
  
$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$  
  
    Dareth scrambled out of the den not long after he woke up, shoving his face in the nearby stream.  
  
    Partially he was checking if he was dreaming. It sure felt like one. Cursed boyfriend, traveling with a bear, what kind of adventure was this?  
  
    The other reason was his attempt to recover from last night.  
  
    Not that it’d been terrible by any means, just a lot to adjust to at once. Pyrite asked a lot of questions, very intent on learning about human culture. Dareth answered the best he could. It was a bit exhausting, but nothing he couldn’t deal with.  
  
    Then Pyrite showed him the den. It was actually pretty roomy, not the most uncomfortable thing. Dareth got busy making some kind of fire, determined to try catching something in the river for dinner.  
  
    Until he remember he could talk to animals.  
  
    Pyrite was way ahead of him in terms of catching anything. But any time he managed to snatch a fish in his jaws the poor creature let out some kind of scream of horror before going silent.   
  
    That made Dareth loose his appetite for a while. He sort of just sat curled up by the fire, trying to block out the noise of the fish.   
  
    Eventually Pyrite came over, dropping a couple on the ground next to him.  
  
    “Are you alright?”  
  
    Dareth tried to smile but it looked more like a cringe. “I can uh, hear what fish are saying too, turns out.”  
  
    Pyrite studied him before turning away. “My apologies then, but you should eat something.”   
  
    And that was the truth. Dareth whispered a dozen apologies before cooking the fish and eating as much as he could. At least a handful of bones stabbed him in the gums. It’d been far too long since he cleaned one of these properly. He should try and convince Ronin to go fishing sometime.   
  
    Sleeping wasn’t much comfort either. Although the dirt inside the cave wasn’t hard it certainly wasn’t a well used mattress. Dareth could already feel the awful crick in his neck. He popped his spine as he leaned away from the water.   
  
    “Humans have a strange way of drinking water.” Pyrite said behind him.  
  
    “Clearing my head.” Dareth said before actually scooping up some of the water to drink. It probably wasn’t clean, but he didn’t give much of a damn. He could deal with the potential stomach bug or parasite later. He ran his wet hands through his hair, already aware of what a mess it was in. Not like making it look nice was a priority right now.   
  
    He jumped when he felt Pyrite sniffing his neck. He spun around.  
  
    “You smell less like the bog now at least.” Pyrite snorted in his face before turning around. “Not fond of that smell.”  
  
    “Thanks.” Dareth mumbled. He scratched at his neck, a spot near his chain itching. He splashed some water on that as well. “We heading out or do you want to get breakfast?”  
      
    “That was my plan. Do you wish to leave?”   
  
    Dareth thought about it before he nodded and went to get his bag. He’d keep a fair distance and chew on some of the energy bars he packed instead. Wasn’t wildly filling, but Pyrite already mentioned the nearby village a couple of times. He could pick up something better there.   
  
    He began to doze off leaning against the tree before another nose to the face woke him up.  
  
    “Please stop doing that.” Dareth said.  
  
    “Why?”  
  
    “Personal space thing, you know? I’ve been trying to respect yours.”  
  
    The bear blinked. “I do not understand.”  
  
    “You know, not petting you or whatever. Wouldn’t that make you uncomfortable?”   
  
    “I wouldn’t know. A human has not pet me before.”  
  
    Dareth frowned. Did he dare try? Pyrite at least seemed patient enough not to snap at him. He hesitated before reaching forward, patting the creatures head and scratching the spot behind his ears.  
  
    The bear shook his head for a moment. “Strange, but it doesn’t feel bad. This is a thing humans normally do?”  
  
    “Well, to animals yeah.” Dareth scratched his neck again. “Though I’ve wanted to play with Ronin’s hair on a number of occasions.”  
  
    “Ronin?” The bear sniffed at him again. “A friend? Is that the smell I can’t identify?”  
  
    “I’m sure there’s a number of them.” Dareth took a step back. He wasn’t sure how to feel that a bear could analyze half his life on smell alone. “But yeah, he’s a friend of mine. He’s in trouble though, whole reason I’m going to the temple.”   
  
    “I see. We shouldn’t linger then.” Pyrite stepped up next to him. “I could run us both there if you climb on my back.”  
  
    Dareth blinked. “What? Are you okay with that?”  
  
    “I cannot imagine you’re that heavy. It would be worth a try.”   
  
    “Um, okay.” He shrugged. “But if it’s uncomfy let me know and I’ll get off.”   
  
    “Your consideration is appreciated.” Pyrite’s voice carried amusement as his ear flicked back.   
  
    It took Dareth a second to get some decent footing, but he managed to jump up to sit on the bear, clutching it’s fur to stay steady. He cringed, gritting his teeth, hoping it wasn’t too much.  
  
    Pyrite grumbled for a moment. “You’re heavier than I thought.”  
  
    “Hey,” Dareth complained. “You offered.”  
  
    “I did, I did. Hang on tight.”  
  
    That was all the warning he got before the bear took off through the woods. Dareth tried not to clutch too hard before ducking his head to keep himself from being thrown back. The creature could run far faster than he expected. He had to keep his head low to avoid any branches, since Pyrite didn’t seem to be taking his height into account.   
  
    It wasn’t exactly a smooth ride either, but just when Dareth thought he was getting to a point he was going to puke the bear came to as stop. He didn’t hesitate to let go, falling onto the ground with a thud as he groaned.   
  
    “It could not have been that bad.” Pyrite’s voice sounded out of breath, although he visibly didn’t seem tired.  
  
    “Just bumpy.” He mumbled as he pushed himself up. Everything was still spinning, but he could see the town up ahead through the trees.  
  
    “I won’t go much farther than here.” Pyrite said. “They’re likely to chase me.”   
  
    “Yeah, I can get that.” Dareth stood and dusted off his pants. God, he probably looked like hell. Doubtful he smelled much better. He ran his hands through his hair at least, trying to fix up what he could. If he could at least pass as a traveler instead of a hobo he’d take it.   
  
    “Be back in a bit then.” Dareth said. “And try and get those birds to shut up.” He pointed at the trees. He couldn’t see them but their chatter was impossible to miss. There had to at least be a dozen.   
  
    At least it got quieter as he walked out of the trees and down the grassy hill. From here he could actually see the volcano where the temple was located, though it still seemed so far away.   
  
    He had to walk around the outer wall to get into town. He admired the gate for a moment, the structure seemed old but was freshly painted. The pathways in town were clear of any weeds, though he could see the surrounding grass trying to grow over the cobble stone. It was a fairly small town, but the market in the center of town was in full swing this morning as the locals went about getting produce and supplies.   
  
    Dareth did his best to blend in as he studied the stands. There were some for veggies, foraged goods, and thankfully a spot to buy fish. No doubt he could take Pyrite a couple of those.   
  
    He went over the money he had, trying to do some basic math in his head. He should have plenty of cash for most of this, assuming no one was trying to cheat him out of a dollar.  
  
    In the end he spent most of it on berries. The rest went to a couple of fish, some jerky, and half a dozen fresh baked rolls. They weren’t potstickers by any means, but at least they’d last longer.   
  
    He put the rolls and jerky in his backpack, carrying the rest out of town. He was glad none of the townspeople noticed him heading directly into the trees. Maybe the folks here just knew how to mind their own business.   
  
    Not long after he slipped under tree cover that sensation–that was slowly getting familiar–of breath on his neck had him turning around.   
  
    “You got quite a lot.” Pyrite was already shoving his nose in the basket of mixed wildberries.  
  
    “Yeah.” Dareth pulled it back a bit. “Don’t eat it all at once. You’ll want a snack later if...” He trailed off, realizing this was the edge of the forest for the most part. After this they’d be getting to mountain territory before reaching the volcano.   
  
    “If?” Pyrite’s nose was back in the basket.  
  
    “Uh, well, my mind was trying to think about the rest of the trip. But you probably want to stay in the woods, right?”   
  
    “If you have supplies I doubt food will be an issue.” Pyrite pulled his nose back as he smacked on the berries. “Perhaps we’ll find more on the way.”  
  
    “You’re coming?”   
  
    “You’re decent company.” Back to the basket he went.  
  
    “You’re saying that cause of free food, huh.”   
  
    Pyrite seemed to laugh. At least that’s what Dareth assumed that sound was.   
  
    “What did I say about eating them all?” He pulled the basket away again.  
  
    “One more bite.”  
  
    “No, chew on some fish instead if you’re that hungry.”  
  
    “I could easily take these from you.”   
  
    “Oh yeah sure you– ack! Get back on all fours! Don’t use your height! Not fair.”   
  
    The bear was laughing again as he fell back to the ground. Dareth tried to get his heart to stop pounding out of fear, holding out the paper wrapped fish. Pyrite took it in his jaw before dropping it to the ground and using his paws to tear it open.  
  
    Dareth leaned down, hesitating before reaching out and patting the bear on his head. He didn’t move away. In fact, he leaned into the touch as he snatched one of the trout in his mouth.   
  
    Dareth smiled, feeling at ease for once since this whole mess started.   
  
    Least he wasn’t alone on this trip anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Pyrite tbh
> 
> He's about 8ft on his hind lends


	4. Money to Burn

    The trek onwards felt long, but it must not have been as long as Dareth thought considering the sun was still fairly high in the sky.   
  
    It wasn’t easy by any means, however. Even with the direct path through the mountain to where the fire temple was located, there were a lot of ups and downs over the rocky terrain. At least twice he slipped on his way down hill, getting a number of scrapes on his hands and even his cheek.  
  
    He didn’t complain for long however. No time to wait. He was already down one day, by now he only had one and a half left.   
  
    Pyrite still asked questions from time to time, some more general, others specific. Most of them came whenever they’d pause to take a breath, eating a few snacks. Dareth was thankful for the streams along the way, though he had a feeling that would dry up as they got close to the volcano. He made sure to keep his water bottle full just in case.   
  
    The issue in the back of his mind was that the temple was in ruins. He remembered hearing about what happened to it during the ninjas’ quest for the fangblades. The volcano erupted, the whole place was probably flooded with magma. How was Dareth supposed to access the portal?   
  
    Well, the only way to find out was by getting there.   
  
    It was a bit strange. The path toward the temple was actually so serene. The trees weren’t clustered together, leaving room for grass to grow. Though part of it felt eerie since the activity from the volcano left a cloud of smoke hovering in the air, thick enough to block out most of the sun. It would have felt like fog if not for the smell of it. Dareth coughed a few times before he simply got used to it.  
  
    “This isn’t bothering you nose, is it?” He asked the bear.  
  
    Pyrite snorted. “It is certainly messing up my ability to smell. All I can pick up is ash and sulfer.”   
  
    “Sorry.” Dareth said. “Guess that explains why not a lot of things live out here.”   
  
    It was a bit odd to him. As pretty as this forest was it was completely devoid of anything but plants. He couldn’t even hear the chatter of birds anymore.   
  
    Eventually the pair came to the gate of the temple. Surprisingly the thing was intact, including the stone bridge, but it just lead up to a wall of magma. Dareth could see rubble from the temple peaking out near the volcano ,but it didn’t look like there was much of an opening.  
  
    Great.  
  
    He groaned, his exhaustion catching up with him. The scrapes on his face still stung.  
  
    “What’s wrong?” Pyrite said.  
  
    “The portal I need to take is in there.” He pointed at the remains of the building. “But from here it doesn’t look like there’s a way inside.”   
  
    Pyrite seemed to hum. “We would have to get closer to find out, but I imagine it’d be wiser to take a rest first. You may wish to hydrate some more as well.”  
  
    Right, no doubt the heat in there would make him sweat like mad. He didn’t hesitate to pull out his water bottle and take a few long sips. He held it out toward Pyrite.   
  
    “I’ll drink some after I eat.” He said, already nosing at what was left of the berries.   
  
    The pair of them sat down on some of the softer grass. While Pyrite went through the berries Dareth dug out the bread and jerky. He knew he should leave a few just on the off chance they wouldn’t have access to food after they got out.  
  
    God, how were they going to get out? Dareth didn’t know a thing about the underworld. There had to be a way out, right? Ruta wouldn’t have sent him on a hopeless mission.  
  
    He didn’t think so, anyway.   
  
    He shook his head, reaching into the bag of bread, only for his hand to brush against something much softer than a piece of bread.   
  
    There was a screech. He screamed back as he jerked his hand away, staring at the bag. After a few moments the small head of a rat poked it’s way out, looking up at him.   
  
    “Wh–” Dareth sputtered. “What are you doing in there?”  
  
    “Gettin’ some free food.” The rat spat back at him. “What’s it look like to you, giant furless wonder.”   
  
    Dareth glared. “Well it’s not your food. Scram.”   
  
    “No.” The creature burrowed back into the bag.  
  
    “Oh no you don’t.” Dareth snatched it and tipped it upside down. It wasn’t the wisest idea, considering it caused the last two rolls to hit the grass, but he was too annoyed to care at the moment.   
  
    “What’s the big idea?” The rat shouted. “Humans always like this. Too good to share.”   
  
    “You could have asked if you wanted to share.” Dareth pointed out. “Now you’re just stealing.”   
  
    “You’ve got plenty.” It kept arguing. “I don’t see–”  
  
    Pyrite leaned over from where he was laying, snorting a blast of hot air on the smaller creature. The rat squeaked and tried to hide under Dareth’s leg.   
  
    “Ugh.” He tried to fish it out, only for the creature to nip his hand. “Hey!” He let out another sigh. “Look, fine, you can have what’s left of the bread. Just stop kicking up a fuss.”   
  
    “You started it.” The critter poked it’s head back out. It stared at Pyrite for the longest time before creeping forward to snatch at an already half eaten roll. “How do you know what I’m saying anyhow?”   
  
    “Magic.” Was all Dareth cared to say on the matter as he ate what was left the jerky. So much for having food later.   
  
    “To be honest,” Pyrite spoke up. “If she’s not willing to be helpful I could get rid of her.”  
  
    Another squeak. “H-Hey now. I’m plenty helpful! More helpful than a fat ass like you.”  
  
    Pyrite growled. Dareth shook his head.  
  
    “Unless you know how to get into the fire temple.” Dareth gestured behind him. “Then I don’t think you could help us out much.”  
  
    The rat snorted as she ate some more bread. “You think I couldn’t? Old buried buildings are easy to get into. I’m small enough.”  
  
    Dareth hadn’t thought of that. Maybe she could slip in and find a way for them to fit through. Then again would it be safe? There was no way of telling how hot the area underneath the rock was.   
  
    He scratched at his neck while he thought for a moment. The skin around his necklace felt dry.   
  
    “Listen,” Dareth said. “I’ll give you the rest of the bread if you show us a way we can get in there.”   
  
    “Psh, deal.” The rat kept digging in. “Hear that big fluff? I’m useful.”  
  
    Pyrite ignored her as he went back to eating berries.   
  
    “You have a name?” Dareth asked. “Assuming I can tell what it is?”  
  
    The rat said her name, but once again it came out in a way that Dareth couldn’t comprehend it.   
  
    “Okay, nope, I can’t. Got a ballpark I can aim for?”   
  
    “I’d say it roughly means ‘many colors.’” Pyrite said.   
  
    He thought for a moment. The name Rainbow just sounded too silly. What were some stones that were like that? At least sticking with a theme would keep it from taking too long.  
  
    “Uh, how does Spinel sound?”  
  
    The rat perked up, cheeks stuff with bread. “Oh, pretty nifty.” Her voice was muffled from all the starch. Dareth chuckled.   
  
    The trio sat and ate for a bit longer. Pyrite finally drank some water and Dareth offered some to Spinel as well. Better for all of them to be hydrated going in. God knew how that heat would feel on animals that were both covered in fur.   
  
    When they finally started moving again, Spinel climbed up on Dareth’s shoulder. They walked slowly over the stone bridge. He could feel some of it crumbling under his feet, the stones creaking against each other. Some of the chunks below came loose and clattered against the trench below.   
  
    Thankfully, despite its shakiness, it still seemed fairly sturdy. Eventually they made it across, or at least on more solid ground. Dareth stared up at the wall of magma and rubble. At least the whole place didn’t seem buried in solid rock, just chunks of it that had come loose during the eruption.   
  
    The question was, where to start. The door was sealed off. Dareth imagined they could climb up and start from the top, but he hoped their access to the lower levels wasn’t cut off.   
  
    “Think we should go up?” He asked anyway.  
  
    “It seems the best idea.” Pyrite said.   
  
    They didn’t say anything else as Dareth began to climb up the rocks. It wasn’t easy. Without the right equipment he slipped a couple of times, thankfully not tumbling in the process. Some of the rocks he had to jump to be able to grip properly. The combination of the heat and the effort already had him sweating. The saltwater only made the space under his necklace burn more. He ignored the temptation to take it off, knowing that would just ruin everything.   
  
    It took way longer than he would have liked, but eventually he made it up to the broken parts of the roof. There at least gaps in these stones, though it was nothing he could fit through. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to move them either.   
  
    “My turn.” Spinel jumped onto a nearby rock.   
  
    “You sure?” Dareth frowned. “I don’t want you to get stuck.”  
  
    “I can manage, no problem.” She sniffed around the stones. “I’ll find you an access point for sure.”   
  
    With that she vanished into one of the gaps. Dareth listened to her tiny feet scraping around on the stone for a while before he leaned back. They couldn’t do anything but wait, which sucked.  
  
    “Sure you don’t want to go back?” He turned to Pyrite. “Don’t want you to overheat.”   
  
    “Your consideration is appreciated.” Pyrite nudged Dareth’s face with his nose. “But I shall wait.”   
  
    He frowned before he turned away. No sense in arguing. He began to wonder if this spell also just made him have an easier time charming animals or if that was just a coincidence.  
  
    Then again it seemed winning them over wasn’t too hard. Just offer them free food.   
  
    He supposed that would be enough to win him over as well.   
  
    He wasn’t sure how long it took Spinel to return. He couldn’t see the sun, although it seemed to be a bit darker now than it was earlier. Was it setting?   
  
    In fact, he was almost dozing off in the heat until the scraping noises alerted him. He sat up, seeing the black rat climb up out of the rock. She shook her fur, getting rid of some dust and ash.   
  
    “I found it.” She actually jumped and skittered over to him. She climbed up Dareth’s leg and back onto his shoulder. “There’s a space just around the mountain from here I think you can fit through. It even leads into a really big room. I think that’s where you want to go, yeah?”   
  
    It sounded right, and it was certainly better than nothing. Dareth got up and they set off again, although climbing down the rocks was even worse than climbing up. This time he did fall down, landing on his face again. At least he wasn’t far from the ground when it happened.   
  
    “Watch it.” Spinel squeaked. “You’re my ride.”  
  
    “Sorry,” he mumbled, the scrapes on his cheek were burning again.   
  
    Still, he forced himself up. No time to stop now. They needed to get out of this heat as soon as possible.   
  
    He followed that little path there was around the mountain. In some spots it thinned out, but thankfully it was never cut off by lava flow. After only a couple of minutes of walking Dareth spotted what Spinel was talking about. The mouth of a cave was still open, despite a number of small rocks scattered around it. He peaked inside of it, glad there was light, though he knew it was likely coming from some lava.   
  
    He glanced at Spinel and Pyrite to see if they wanted to go back, but both of them just stared at him, waiting.  
  
    He sighed and kept going.   
  
    The path must have been one built for the temple. It was too clean cut to be a natural cave, but the lack of torches were strange. Eventually he reached a doorway, but by now the door that had been build there was in pieces. He didn’t fully step into the room, observing the room instead.  
  
    It did appear to be the center room. There was still a giant open mouth at the end of it, the glow of lava coming up from above. Half the room was buried in stone, however, and the floor seemed to be cooled lava. If Dareth squinted he could see some of it cracking, revealing the bright oranges and reds underneath.  
  
    Okay, so he needed to watch his step. At least he didn’t have to go to the middle of the room. For now he just walked around the side, slowly descending toward where the open mouth was.  
  
    “So,” Pyrite said. “You mentioned before we need a portal of some kind?”  
  
    “Uh, yeah. Ruta said there should be a spot in here we can use to get to the underworld and...” He trailed off for a second. “Wait, should you guys even go with me? I think you should–”  
  
    “I already came this far.” Pyrite argued.  
  
    “Yeah, and this heat sucks.” Spinel added.   
  
    “But where is the portal?”   
  
    Dareth racked his brain for a second. What was the story the ninja told about this? That Garmadon used this place to come out of the underworld because the golden sword was acting as a seal?   
  
    He looked at the open mouth. It seemed like an obvious spot for a fancy sword to be placed. He stepped closer to it, carefully, leaning over to get a better look.  
  
    He swallowed. All that seemed to be down there was fire.  
  
    “That doesn’t look safe.” Spinel practically spoke his thoughts.  
  
    “No,” he agreed. But where else could the portal be? What did it even look like? He stared at the flames longer, squinting at the way they were moving. They didn’t seem to be rising up. Instead they seemed to swirl around each other, like some kind of whirlpool.  
  
    That wasn’t normal.   
  
    “I think this might be it though.” Dareth exhaled.   
  
    “You think?” Spinel said. “You’re not sure? I don’t think it’s worth the gamble.”  
  
    “I can’t explain why else the fire would look like that.” He frowned. But there was still a chance he was wrong. There was still a chance that would be a fatal jump.  
  
    But...   
  
_“Don’t freeze next time, damn it.”_   
  
    He couldn’t keep letting fear get in the way.   
  
    “Sorry, I’m risking it.” Dareth said. “This has to be it. Here.” He leaned down and let Spinel crawl off his arm and onto Pyrite’s back. The bear didn’t seem pleased but he didn’t protest. “If you hear me scream in agony and see my corpse burning at the bottom, just go home.”  
  
    “This idea is stupid.” Spinel said. “At least throw something else in there first.”  
  
    Well, that seemed like a decent idea. Dareth picked up a nearby stone and leaned over the edge. He watched it as it fell. The flames seemed to lick at the object but eventually it faded below the orange.  
  
    Dareth scratched his neck. “I... don’t know if that means it’s a portal or there’s just a lot of fire.”  
  
    “Ugh.” Spinel groaned.  
  
    “I must agree with the rat.” Pyrite said. “This is rather risky.”  
  
    “I know.” Dareth sighed and gripped his bag as he took a step back. “But I’m going to do whatever it takes to save Ronin. And if I fail then... at least I’ll see him in the afterlife.”   
  
    With that Dareth sprinted forward. Spinel shouted at him to stop again but he didn’t listen. He jumped. The heat rushed towards him as he fell, watching the orange light get closer and closer.   
  
    Then suddenly the heat vanished. 


	5. Unravelled Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spyder time

    Dareth coughed after he hit solid ground. The rough gravel scrapped against his palms, but by now he was used to the feeling. He forced himself up, trying to look around. This had to be the underworld. All the stone around him was a ghostly shade of blue and the space above them was pitch black. Was the ground they were on floating? His gaze moved over to a ferris wheel that slowly turned on its own.  
  
    Weird.  
  
    He moved to get up only to hear the incoming roar of a bear. He turned his head to see Pyrite plummeting toward him. Dareth screamed and tried to get out of the way, but the creature landed on top of him. The air was knocked from his lungs a second time.   
  
    “My apologies.” Pyrite’s voice also sounded strained as he stood up.   
  
    “Oh, that was scary.” Spinel chattered from above. “Please tell me the way back won’t be like that.”   
  
    Dareth didn’t have an answer to that. In part, because he didn’t know, but also because he was still trying to breath. Once again he pushed himself up, coughing and taking a few deep breaths. Doing so made him aware of the smell. It smelled like winter, dry plants and ice, but there was something else lingering in the air. Motor oil? No that wasn’t quite right.  
  
    Pyrite sniffed as well as he stepped up to Dareth’s side. He flicked his ears. “I don’t hear any movement. Does anyone live down here?”  
  
    “Supposedly skulkin do.” He looked around. “Maybe they’re just somewhere else for the time being.” Just as well, the more conflict he could avoid the better.   
  
    But where did they go from here? Dareth slowly stepped forward, Pyrite following close behind. The three of them went through the big arch, only to see a dozen pathways ahead of them.   
  
    Great, it was some kind of maze, with almost no indication of which direction they should go in.   
  
    “I’m not sure if we should be sniffing out for anything.” Spinel said, nose in the air. “What are we looking for?”  
  
    “A flower, but I don’t know what it smells like.” Dareth sighed. “Maybe I should have asked.”   
  
    “The only thing to do is pick a path and see where it leads.” Pyrite scrapped at the ground below them, leaving a few claw marks. “Perhaps marking where we go will keep us from getting lost.”   
  
    “Hey, not bad.” Spinel said. “Pretty smart for your size.”   
  
    The bear snorted at the comment, not replying otherwise.   
  
    “Well then,” Dareth looked at all the openings in the wall. All the paths ahead seemed to be floating in whatever space they were in, hardly any walls between them but too much of a gap to leap over. “Any super instincts to tell us where to first?”   
  
    Both animals took another sniff to the air before pointing their noses to the right.   
  
    “One of those paths.” Pyrite said. “I at least smell something different in that direction.”  
  
    That was enough for him. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder before he headed forward.   
  
    The paths were long, winding, and a bit narrow in places. Dareth tried to keep an eye on his feet to make sure he didn’t stumble, but kept looking up at other floating rock formations. Was there something up there? How high did they go? It was impossible to tell since so many just faded into the black.   
  
    What a strange realm this was. What was it even for? Dareth had heard about the departed realm and the cursed realm, different places for spirits to go when they died. So what purpose did this place serve?   
  
    He wasn’t sure he liked where the path ended up. They slipped through another rocky gate way and somehow it was even darker in here than outside. There was dense foliage covering the walls and the ground, which Dareth quickly discovered was rather far below them. He almost stepped clean over the edge until Pyrite bit onto his shirt and jerked him back.   
  
    “Man, what is this?” Dareth looked around. The space was large but not to a point he couldn’t see the surrounding walls. It almost looked like a jungle, apart from the fact none of the plants were things he recognized. Was the whole realm like this? Just clusters of different environments?  
  
    “That’s a lot of plants.” Spinel’s nose twitched. “Maybe the flower you’re looking for is in there.”   
  
    Yeah, that was true at least. Dareth scanned the area, but couldn’t see it right away. Perhaps it was in some of the denser areas. But first thing was first, they needed to find a way down. He stepped around the cliff they were on, looking for a path or even a patch of vines to cling to.   
  
    “Want me to scout ahead?” Spinel offered as she climbed down from Pyrite’s shoulder. “I might be able to find something safer.”  
  
    Dareth didn’t get to tell her yes or no before she scrambled down the rocks and into the bushes. He sighed, not even sure how it would help. He was far too heavy for tree climbing.   
  
    He felt tired.  
  
    But a loud squeak ripped his exhaustion away. He saw scrambling in the leaves.   
  
    “Spinel?” He called down. “You okay?”   
  
    Another squeak was the only response. Dareth scrambled to find a way to get to her, tossing safety out the window. He found the best part to start climbing down, and made decent progress until there was simply not enough rock to get a grip on. His foot slipped. Pyrite tried to grab his sleeve but missed.  
  
    Dareth screamed, cringing, waiting for either the ground or the trees to knock his teeth out, but he landed on something else instead. He felt his body moved up and down, as if caught in a wave. He slowly opened his eyes, looking at the strands of gold he was resting on. He dipped a finger under it and tugged. It kind of looked like–  
  
    “Spider!” Spinel screeched, running along the wire over to Dareth. He reached out to let her on his hand, but when he went to get up he found his shirt stuck to the material.   
  
    Did she say spider?  
  
    He turned his head to look in the direction she came from. He certainly saw it now, the creature even bigger than a car rushing toward them, legs like swords. Their eyes glowed red in the dark.   
  
    “Holy shit.” Dareth shouted and once again tried to wrench himself free. The web snapped from the strain, but all that did was cause him to plummet down again until he got caught in another one.   
  
    “Damn it.” He kept cursing, panicking. What was he supposed to do? The thing was fast. It was almost on top of him all over again, fangs out. Spinel squeaked and dove into his shirt from the collar.   
  
    “No no no, not food.” Dareth held up his hands. “Not food.”   
  
    “Not food?” The spider screamed at him. “If you’re not food and you tear up my web then you’re just wasting my time.”   
  
    Somehow her voice was even more feminine sounding than Spinel’s. “I guess what I mean is please don’t eat me.” Dareth whimpered.  
  
    “Why not?” She moved even closer to him, to the point he could smell the acidic venom on her fangs. “It’s rare for me to find something like you down here.”  
  
    Dareth forced out a laugh. “Well, guess I have no power to stop you but it’d be appreciated. Have some things I’d like to do.”  
  
    “Wow, you’re really selling it.” Spinel hissed from inside his shirt. He ignored the urge to smack his chest.   
  
    “What do you eat normally?” He offered. If giving the other two animals food won them over maybe it’d work this time around.  
  
    “There are other large insects, but they’re dying out.” She sounded sad suddenly. “Everything is down here, even the plants. The skullkin take too much and give too little.”   
  
    “Uh, what if uh,” Dareth stumbled over his words. “What if I could take you to a realm where you wouldn’t have to worry about that?”   
  
    Spiders couldn’t blink, but he figured she would if she could. “You lie.”  
  
    “I’m not.” He waved his hands as best he could. “We’ll all be getting out of here eventually. You can uh, come with us. I bet there’s some jungles you could live in.”  
  
    “You can’t be serious.” Spinel hissed. “You’re trusting a spider?”  
  
    Dareth frowned. “Well I trusted a rat.”  
  
    Spinel bit him. He flinched.   
  
    The spider snorted. “You’re lucky I’ve eaten recently.”  
  
    With that she bit through some of the gold thread. The web snapped again and Dareth screamed as he plummeted down and hit the ground. He groaned and rolled over, hands feeling the dead leaves and twigs under his palms. It felt so familiar but it didn’t look that way. Unlike the lush greens of ninjago these plants were purples and reds. He picked up one of the leaves, rolling it around in his fingers.   
  
    “So then,” the spider hovered above. “Where do you plan to escape from?”   
  
    “Well, that’s the thing.” Dareth cringed. “I won’t be figuring that out until I find what I came here for.”  
  
    “And what is that?”  
  
    “It’s uh, some kind of flower. Supposed to be able to raise the dead?” He’s pretty sure that’s what Ruta said.  
  
    The spider stared for a while. “I believe I know the flower you speak of.”  
  
    “You do?”  
  
    “Yes, many skullkin cultivate it to repair broken bones. You learn a thing or two, hovering from above. Come, I shall show you.”  
  
    With that she moved through the trees, surprisingly with little effort considering her size. Dareth watched, then frowned as he looked about.  
  
    “Uh, can’t offer us a lift, can you?”  
  
¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$  
  
    It had taken far too much effort to get out of that cavern, even with Ruby’s help. Dareth wound up naming her that because of her eyes. She had no objections.  
  
    But still, if he found it strange to be followed by a bear and a rat, the feeling was much stranger with a giant spider. She towered over all of them, even Pyrite, who was less than pleased to have her nearby.   
  
    When he reached Ninjago this would be over, that’s what Dareth kept telling himself. He’d made it this far. He’d keep going. It’s not like they had much time to waste.   
  
    After getting back to the first room, he let Ruby lead the way. She didn’t seem to enjoy walking on the narrow paths, but without walls there weren’t any options.   
  
    This path lead to another fork in the road. Dareth noticed the torches on the arch ways this time, and looking down the pathway he could see the outline of buildings behind another wall. A village perhaps?  
  
    He didn’t get to investigate. Ruby went the other direction This path lead them downwards, some of it connected by bridges. Dareth and Pyrite went across them one at a time, on the off chance it couldn’t hold their combined weight.   
  
    After a few turns he saw their destination. The path lead into an open area, this one actually so huge he couldn’t see the end of it as it faded into the dark distance. It almost looked like farmland, apart from the strange haze over where the plants seemed to be. Dareth stepped towards it, until he could at least get a view of one of the nearby flowers.  
  
    “That’s it!” He pointed, managing a grin for the first time in a while. “Oh thank goodness, that’s it.”   
  
    He sprinted forward, not giving it much thought. He just had to snatch one of these. Then they could find a way out of there. Then he could get back to Ronin, apologize for everything, kiss him like his life depended on it.  
  
    Something caught in his throat. Dareth coughed but when he inhaled the sensation only got worse. In fact, it was burning. He looked up, seeing the air was much thicker now with whatever this purple haze was made of. He held his breath as he stumbled back and back, until he bumped into Pyrite.   
  
    “Seems toxic.” The bear said.  
  
    “Thanks.” Dareth wheezed. “Couldn’t warn me of that earlier?”   
  
    “You did kind of just run in there.” Spinel sighed.   
  
    Great, toxic pollen from the live saving plant. That figured. The burning seemed to move to the outside of his neck and Dareth scratched under his necklace. The skin felt even rougher than before.   
  
    “What do I do?” He said. He couldn’t just run in there blindly, and the other animals wouldn’t fare any better. It’s likely skullkin didn’t have to worry about it, seeing as they didn’t have lungs, but there was no way he could convince one of them to help.   
  
    “Couldn’t Ruby pull some out?” Spinel offered. “With like, that string stuff.”  
  
    “Web.” Ruby corrected. “And if you require the whole plant the answer is no. I doubt I’d be able to uproot it.”   
  
    Dareth went over the options in his head, not that there were many. Ruta required the whole plant. He knew she only needed part of it for the spell but if he came back short handed she might not even create it. Ronin dying wouldn’t be any skin off her nose.   
  
    He had to get in there and pull it up. Somehow.   
  
    Dareth dropped his bag and dug through it. It’s not like he thought to brought a fancy mask with him, but there was always his brown ninja mask. Some protection was better than none. He pulled out the material, folding it over in an untraditional way. It was meant to be breathable material after all. He needed a better filter than that.   
  
    He wrapped the cloth over his nose and mouth before looking back at the hazy field.  
  
    “I hope you’re not thinking of running in there again.” Spinel’s nose twitched a few times.   
  
    “What choice do I have?” Dareth narrowed his eyes. “We don’t have an option and I don’t have time to waste.”   
  
    “Why is this so critical?” Ruby’s head twisted to the side. “It seems foolish to risk so much death for a plant.”   
  
    “It’s not just a plant. If I don’t get one of those my friend Ronin is done for.” His gaze fixed on the  cloud of pollen. Purple. Why was it always purple? “It’s my fault he ended up like that. I have to fix it.”   
  
    “Your fault how?” Spinel snorted.   
  
    “I let it out.” Dareth stood up, wiping grey dust off his pants. “I let it out, and then when it came after me I froze like a coward.”   
  
    And that’s how it’d always been, wasn’t it. He always talked a big game and then backed out when things got dangerous. Perhaps there was something to be said for his persistence, but not for his courage.   
  
    But he couldn’t keep letting it happen. He couldn’t keep going in bold and expecting someone else to swoop in and solve everything. The ninja weren’t here now. Ronin wasn’t either.   
  
    Ruta said it herself. Either Dareth got this cure or Ronin would die. No matter how many paths there were, those were the only two outcomes.   
  
    He refused to let it be the latter.  
  
    He tightened the bandanna on his face once more. “Ruby, give me a line.”   
  
    “Pardon?” The spider said.  
  
    “Some thread, give me some thread for a life line. If I do pass out then you can pull me back.”  
  
    “Well at least that’s somewhat sensible.” Spinel chimed.   
  
    “I still doubt this is wise.” Pyrite added. “But you’ve managed it this far.”   
  
    Ruby handed off line of golden thread. Dareth wrapped it around his middle a few times, making sure it was stuck on tight.   
  
    Then he sprinted forward.  
  
    The less time he spent in the cloud the better. He even tried to hold his breath for good measure, but the energy he was using made him have to inhale sooner rather than later. Despite the cover on his face he could still feel some of the spores slipping in, but at least not nearly as dense as before.  
  
    He squinted through them, feeling it burn the corners of his eyes as well as his throat. The itching under the necklace got worse, far worse, like a fresh sunburn. He ignored it as he reached out, grabbing the closest flower.   
  
    He was careful not to jerk too hard at first. He moved closer to the ground, hands digging into the dirt to try and loosen it. Hopefully the roots weren’t that deep.   
  
    His eyes watered. He blinked once, twice, but the sensation didn’t get any better. It made his vision go blurry. He had to feel around the soil to make sure he did this properly.   
  
    Dareth gripped the base of the plant. He tilted it left and right, feeling the ground shift beneath it. After a few more twists it came loose, roots and all.   
  
    He grinned, but it didn’t last. The burning in and around his throat was getting worse. The next breath he tried to take came up short, like something was blocking his lungs. He coughed, but all that did was make him gasp for air.   
  
    His vision phased out even more, even with the tears running down his cheeks. He reached to tug on the line as he gasped for air once more.   
  
    Everything went dark.  
  
    His neck was still burning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes


	6. Dealing in Ivory

    Dareth came to when something cold and wet pressed against his cheek. He squeezed his eyelids together, which felt dryer than he ever could have imagined. His hands felt around for a second, noting the surprising soft material under him.   
  
    Once again the cold and wet sensation hit his cheek. Dareth jerked awake, though opening his eyes made them sting. It took a moment for his vision to adjust, more so since the room was so dark.   
  
    His entire throat was burning. The inside felt dry and the taste of acid lingered in his mouth. The outside felt raw, like a scrape, except it wrapped all the way around. His fingers slid around his neck, around the chain, feeling how rough the skin was underneath.   
  
    It was getting so much worse. He needed to get out of here.  
  
    Wait, the flower.  
  
    Dareth turned his gaze, finally seeing Pyrite standing next to the bed he was on. The bear’s eyes were hard to read in the low light, but they still looked gentle.  
  
    “Hey,” Dareth was barely able to speak before he coughed. He reached out, putting a hand on Pyrite’s head and rubbing his ears.   
  
    “You’re awake.” Spinel scampered across the floor and climbed up the end of the bed before hopping over. “Thought you were a goner.”  
  
    “What happened?” He managed to say, looking around. They seemed to be in a hut, the only source of light a small candle on a table made from a tree stump. The walls were lined with all kinds of gardening tools, though what they were made of he couldn’t say. “Where are we?”   
  
    “Well you passed out.” Spinel climbed to his shoulder. “Ruby pulled you out but we weren’t sure what to do. Not until help arrived.”   
  
    “Help?”  
  
    “Ah, good, you’re awake.”  
  
    Dareth twisted his head to look at the open door, though Pyrite was blocking most of it.  
  
    “Excuse me, sorry, your fuzzy friend takes up quite a bit of space.” A skeleton emerged from behind the bear. It was short in stature, in fact it almost looked like a child but it didn’t sound like one. “I was rather concerned they may attack me but they seemed more worried about you.”  
  
    Dareth once again found himself rubbing Pyrite’s ear. None of these guys owed it to him to stick around. “Um, who are you? And why aren’t you attacking me?”  
  
    “Why would I?” The skullkin tilted its head as it moved over to a steel pot in the corner. It crouched down and lit a fire below it. “My name is Capulus. I tend to these flower fields.”  
  
    “Uh, you’re a farmer?” Dareth’s voice cracked and he coughed again.   
  
    “Questions in a moment, I need to finish flushing the poison out of your system.” Capulus waved a hand at him. “Lay down.”   
  
    Dareth wanted to protest, but Pyrite more or less head-butted him back onto the bed. Where was Ruby? She clearly couldn’t fit in the hut, but she must be somewhere nearby.   
  
    Spinel curled up on his chest. Pyrite sat and rested his head on Dareth’s shoulder. By now he was drifting off again. Sleep had never sounded so good.  
  
    But just as he was fading out, Capulus smacked the edge of the iron pot. Dareth jerked back awake, looking over to see him pouring some hot liquid into a cup. The skeleton fanned it with his hand.  
  
    “Still hot.” He warned as he approached. “I’m afraid I don’t have the means to blow on it.”   
  
    Dareth sat up again and Spinel moved to his lap as he took the cup. The edges were already warm. He let the steam drift up his nose. How had he not noticed the smell sooner? It was herbal, a sort of blend between oregano and licorice. It wasn’t entirely bad, but it was strong.  
  
    Even then, the steam alone was already easing the burning in his throat. He blew on it a few times before taking a small sip. It still lightly singed his lips, but not to a point he couldn’t tolerate it. The taste was sharper than the smell, but it quickly mellowed out into a smokey flavor.   
  
    “What is this?” He asked.  
  
    “Tea, from the flower that poisoned you, ironically.” Capulus held up a few of the plants. “Thankfully only the pollen is toxic to living things, but it gives it off it droves when it blooms. We skullkin often use it to repair damaged bones and the like because of its healing properties. Rumor claims that when drunk by a human it can put off death or even reverse it.”   
  
    That was weird to think about, but not entirely surprising. This was the thing that was supposed to cure Ronin.   
  
    “Yeah uh, you wouldn’t let me take some of those would you?” Dareth took another small sip. “I need it to help someone.”   
  
    “Oh, by all means. I already have some prepared.” The skullkin held up a bundle of them, wrapped in leather and thread. “I figured you must be desperate, a human running into those fields, running into the underworld even.”   
  
    Desperate, that was a word for it. He tried to focus on the tea in his hand, drinking as much as the heat would allow. By now the burning in his throat was gone, though the pain on the outside still lingered. Even the ache from the bruises and scrapes he’d acquired over the trip were fading out.   
  
    “So um,” Dareth’s voice sounded much clearer now. “I thought all skullkin were warriors. Didn’t expect to see a farmer.”   
  
    Capulus shook his head. “A common idea in the realms now, I suppose. When skullkin emerge we are left without memories of our past lives. Many are desperate for direction, so they’re quick to follow any cause they find. The waring skullkin tend to use this to their advantage to gather armies.”   
  
    Yeah, Dareth could believe that, though he never interacted with many of them in the past. All he knew is stuff he heard from the ninja.   
  
    “But after Garmadon we were scattered.” Capulus sighed and went to attach the bundle of flowers to Dareth’s bag. “With Samukai gone all the waring skullkin no longer had direction. And, as you may have noticed from wandering around, there is not much to do here.”  
  
    Dareth cringed. He never thought about it beforehand, but that seemed to hold true. This realm was so empty, and it’s not like skullkin required a lot of resources to thrive since they didn’t eat or even breath.   
  
    “Uh, what about art?” He scratched his cheek and then his neck.   
  
    Capulus tilted his head, the glow in his eyes going brighter. “What do you mean?”  
  
    “Like drawing, or singing, or something.”   
  
    A small shake of the head. “We forget everything of our past lives. There’s no one here to teach us. It’s why many of us are so desperate to escape.”   
  
    Dareth frowned and stared into the half empty tea cup. He was a mess. He could see the lines under his eyes, his hair hanging around his face. He wanted to go home.  
  
    “How would you normally get out of here?” He looked back up. “I mean, there’s a portal into the underworld, there must be one that goes out.”  
  
    “Too far for us to reach.” Capulus stood. “There were the vehicles that Samukai had built, but the ones that remain we can’t get to start.”   
  
    Dareth perked up at that, to a point Spinel noticed, jumping onto her feet. “Vehicles? Like trucks?”  
  
    “Ah, yes, I believe so.”   
  
    “I’ve done some work on those before. Maybe I can get them fixed up.”   
  
    “You can try, I suppose, though we keep them in a populated area. While I’m willing to help humans, I can’t speak for how the others might be.”  
  
    Right, avoiding conflict. Oh well, it couldn’t be impossible to sneak in. If he just had enough time to find the problem he might be able to fix it fast.   
  
    Then they’d be out of here, and this whole mess would be over.   
  
    Dareth moved to get up, only for Capulus to rush over, hands out.  
  
    “No, no, finish your tea first. I will show you the way when you’re ready.”  
  
    “I don’t exactly have time to waste.”  
  
    “You have enough time.” The skeleton insisted. “Drink.”  
  
    Dareth wanted to protest but slumped back against the bed and sipped.   
  
    He had enough time? It was hard to think that way when he could still feel the necklace burning at his throat.   
  
¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$  
  
    Dareth had to admit, a full glass of that tea had him bursting with energy. In fact, he almost couldn’t remember the last time he felt this good. He jumped up so suddenly it knocked Spinel down onto the bed. The rat cursed at him before climbing back into Pyrite’s shoulder.   
  
    Dareth found Ruby sitting on the roof of the hut as soon as he exited. The spider climbed down, leaning in close. It made Dareth nervous, but all she seemed to be doing was feeling around with the smaller legs close to her face.   
  
    “Ah good, unharmed.” She said. “And you have your plant. Does this mean we can leave?”   
  
    “Yeah, when we find a way out.” He sighed. “So far we’ve only got one idea.”  
  
    “And if that doesn’t work?”  
  
    Dareth didn’t know how to answer that. If that didn’t work well... he’d dig his way out if he had to.   
  
    Pyrite emerged from the hut next, soon followed by Spinel. The bear kept a wide path around the spider, but didn’t go far. His face was fixed on the field. The hut was a fair distance from it, so the cloud of pollen didn’t come close, but it was still visible.   
  
    “Getting out of here might be tricky.” Spinel muttered.   
  
    Capulus came out of the hut, a sort of straw hat on his head. He weaved around Ruby’s legs, seemingly not noticing the spider. “No need to worry about the pollen. There’s another route out of here that leads toward the village. Just follow me.”   
  
    Dareth was about to when he realized he forgot his bag. He scrambled back into the hut for a moment to snatch it and then dashed to catch up. Pyrite fell behind him, Ruby hovering nearby.   
  
    He looked up at the spider and then at Capulus. “No uh, fear of spiders huh?”  
  
    “Oh, the tiger widow?” The skullkin glanced back. “No, why should we? We are not a food source for them. In fact, they deal with what we would consider pests.”   
  
    Dareth thought there should be an argument to that, but the more he thought about it the more it just sounded like spiders from his realm. Still, that just begged the question where all the irrational fear went.   
  
    “Hey, where are you going when this is over?” Spinel managed to jump and grip onto Dareth’s sleeve before climbing up to his shoulder.   
  
    He frowned at her. “Uh, home?”  
  
    “Yeah, but where’s that.” Her nose twitched. “Can I come?”  
  
    “Not sure I need a rat running around in my bar.”   
  
    “Oh come on, I’ll behave.” She scurried to the other shoulder. “Just give me some scraps now and then. Won’t raid the fridge.”   
  
    He rolled his eyes, not sure if he believed that. He caught Pyrite doing the same thing.   
  
    Still, he couldn’t bring himself to say no, especially when he felt her curling up next to his neck. Her soft fur was a nice contrast to the itching on his neck.   
  
    The sensation also had him reaching out, hand seeking Pyrite’s head. The bear stepped into his touch, tilting his head when Dareth rubbed his ears.   
  
    He looked up at Ruby. “Uh, do spiders like pats?”  
  
    “Not really.” She said. “Though pulling the dust off my legs now and then would be appreciated.”   
  
    He’d keep that in mind, but with both his hands occupied it’d just have to wait another time.  
  
    “You talking to those critters, by the way?” Capulus asked.   
  
    “Huh?” Dareth blinked. “Oh, uh, well yes. That’s just... something I can do.” He wasn’t about to get into the story behind that as he scratched at his neck.   
  
    “Ah, lucky, quite a gift to make critters your allies. Wish I could tell those buzzards to leave my flowers alone.”  
  
    Dareth frowned, picturing a vulture. “Buzzards?”  
  
    “Yes,” Capulus pointed up. “Those.”  
  
    Dareth flinched when he saw what it was. They didn’t look like birds at all, more like giant wasps. The insects were flying around a weird formation that hovered in the air, covered in empty holes that they would climb in and out of.   
  
    “They’re not uh, aggressive are they?” He tried to curl up, half tucking himself under Ruby.  
  
    “Not unless you bother ‘em.” Capulus waved his hand. “Sides, doubt they’ll approach when you have that tiger widow with you.”  
  
     That was only a slight comfort. Dareth could hear their muted buzzing from above, but he forced his eyes to stick to the path. Somehow the long spiny legs around him felt more like a shield than a cage.  
  
    After a while, Dareth picked up the smell of motor oil again. Just what was that? Was it from the vehicles? Stepping closer to one of the torches on the path he realized that’s what it was, but why did it smell like that? What were they burning?   
  
    Might as well ask.  
  
    “What do you guys use to keep the torches lit?” He spoke up. “Smells more like a car.”   
  
    “Oh,” Capulus almost seemed surprised by the question. “It’s fuel from the river, of course.”  
  
    What, like water? Or maybe their rivers were made of something else.   
  
    He didn’t get to press for details. Capulus grabbed his arm and pulled him down behind a small pile of rocks. He was on alert for a second, until he saw the skullkin pointing over the rocks.   
  
    Dareth poked his head over. They were up on a cliff, looking down on an open area outside the village. He could see the three vehicles from here. Two looked like four wheelers while the other was built more like a truck. A bunch of skullkin were lounging on them, just idle chatting. One was sharpening a sword of some kind.   
  
    “So, what, they’re using it as furniture?” Dareth frowned.  
  
    “What I would do if it doesn’t work.” Spinel said. “Extra seats, right?”  
  
    He supposed he couldn’t argue with that logic.   
  
    “How are we going to isolate that thing?” He muttered. “The skullkin are everywhere.”   
  
    “We aren’t hard to scatter.” Capulus offered.  
  
    “Maybe, but even then I need time to work on it.” Dareth groaned. “And they’ll just come back. Hey, Pyrite, if we got Ruby to make a thread would you be able to help me pull it?”  
  
    The bear didn’t look happy with that idea. “One of the small ones, perhaps.”   
  
    Well, it was something, but it still left the question of how to frighten them. The skullkin weren’t scared of spiders it seemed, and Capulus didn’t have much of a reaction toward Pyrite either. Course, any species that spent its time living in the same realm as giant wasps probably didn’t think much of animals.   
  
    Dareth wracked his brain. What would Ronin do in this situation? Or the ninja? A distraction would be good, but would it last? How was he supposed to herd a bunch of skullkin into a different location? Scaring them wasn’t something Dareth could manage. Ronin and the ninja probably had the means to fight them off, Dareth didn’t.   
  
    He tapped his finger on the rock for a moment.   
  
    Maybe he should stop trying to figure out what someone else would do and think more about what he would do.   
  
    So far he’d managed to convince a bear, a rat, and a spider to all follow him into this mess. And while skullkin might not need to eat, there had to be some other way to win them over. Capulus even said they were mostly directionless at this point.   
  
    Dareth dug his nails into the rock. The pain didn’t bother him much, since the pain on his neck was worse. He ignored all of it as he moved around the pile and slid down the hill.  
  
    “Wh–Dareth?” Spinel, who was still on his shoulder, tensed up. “What are you doing?”   
  
    He ignored her for the time being as he skidded to a stop. The noise was more than enough to alert every skullkin in the area, all of them turning their heads. The popping of bones could be heard over the silence as the chatter vanished.   
  
    Dareth stood his ground, glancing around at them for a moment. He was ready to run, but none of them moved to attack.  
  
    So he pushed his hair back as he grinned. “Hey there, lovely folks, you wouldn’t happen to want to bust out of here, would you?”   
  
    All of them seemed to blink in unison. Two of them jumped off one of the cars and began to step over.   
  
    “Bust out of here?”  
  
    “What do you mean by that?”  
  
    Dareth swallowed, keeping his grin up. “I mean what I mean. Get out of the underworld, go to ninjago, or any realm you want to in fact.”   
  
    “And how do you plan to do that?” One of them towered over Dareth in terms of height, having to lean over to reach eye level. Spinel tensed up even more as she pressed herself against Dareth’s neck.   
  
    Dareth forced his breathing to stay steady, despite his racing heart. He pointed at one of the vehicles. “I’ll help you fix those up. Me and my pals get back to ninjago city and you’re all free to use them however you please. How does that sound?”   
  
    Silence fell over the area again. Dareth held his breath. His cheeks hurt from grinning so wide, but he had to keep it up. Christ, he prayed he learned something from Ronin about pitching a sale.   
  
    “Hell yeah!” One of the skullkin on the truck stood up, its skull looking like that of a rhino.   
  
    That’s all it took to change the air. A bunch of other skullkin shouted in agreement. One of them took off its head, chucking in on the ground for no apparent reason.   
  
    “Odd human you are.” The tall one said, but backed up.   
  
    “What? That worked?” Spinel said. “You can’t be serious.”   
  
    Dareth would have smirked at her but she was to close to his neck. “Never underestimate the power of charm.”  
  
    “Oh whatever.” She snorted. “Besides, no amount of charm is gonna help you if you can’t fix these things.”  
  
    Yeah, Dareth tried not to think about that. Still, they seemed fairly intact from a glance.   
  
    How hard could this be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing skullkin actually


	7. Striking Oil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: There's a very brief description of gore and body horror at the river

    The vehicles weren’t like anything Dareth had ever seen.   
  
    After a few introductions and getting the rest of his animal companions by his side, Dareth set to work on trying to find what made the cars tick. Opening the hood was his first instinct, but what he found didn’t look familiar in the slightest.   
  
    It didn’t entirely surprise him. If they were built to travel between realms it made sense they didn’t work like a normal car, but at least the person who designed them could have made them similar.  
  
    Whatever, it was fine. He could figure this out. He had to.   
  
    A task that would be easier if he could get it started to see what made what go, but as the Skullkin said, none of them would start. They even hopped in to prove it. The machines would sputter for a second before cutting off.  
  
    Odd, it almost sounded like...  
  
    “What do these run on?” Dareth asked. “Same as everything else?”  
  
    “Oh, yes,” the small skullkin who’d been following him around answered. “The water from the river.”   
      
    “Does anyone know where the fuel is supposed to go?”  
  
    All the skeletons looked at each other.  
  
    “Right, okay.”  
  
    He got back to work. Spinel offered to help with her size again, slipping in and out of the vehicle where space would allow. Dareth made sure to not attempt to start it again while she was in there.   
  
    “Check this side.” Spinel’s voice chirped from inside. “I see a tunnel that goes up and out. Perhaps that’s where the fuel goes in?”   
  
    Dareth felt around the exterior, wondering what part of it was made of. It looked like bone, but didn’t feel like it. Didn’t feel like metal either. Maybe it was just heavily decorated.  
      
    Eventually he found a seam. Was this supposed to be like a gas cap? Why make it so hard to open. When his nails couldn’t latch underneath it a skullkin came over with a knife. He wedged the object into the seam before popping it open.  
  
    Yup, that looked like a gas cap. Dareth studied it, that smell of oil hitting him again, although this time he noticed something else. Like rancid lunch meat.   
  
    He cringed and backed up for a second. “Okay, so I’m guessing that’s where fuel goes in. When did you guys last fuel it?”  
  
    Once again all the skullkin just stared at him.   
  
    Well, it would make sense that they hadn’t, if they didn’t even know where it was supposed to go.  
  
    Which meant...  
  
    Dareth slapped his forehead. Was it out of fuel? Was that the problem?   
  
    “Okay, where’s this river.” He turned to Capulus, who seemed to be one of the few sensible skeletons here. “Because I think I may have found the solution to our problem.”   
  
    “What, already?” The farmer seemed surprised.   
  
    “Well, if nothing else getting some fuel in it so I can start it will help me figure out what else might be wrong.”   
  
    Capulus nodded, turning to the crowd. “Alright, who wants to go to the river?”  
  
    Only so many skullkin volunteered, some of them looking nervous. Dareth tried not to think of it. It’s not like many of them were bold by nature.   
  
    He followed them to get supplies, buckets made out of tin and wood that they seemed to have scrapped together. A few pushed some old mine carts along the ground.   
  
    Dareth followed them on foot for a while, Ruby behind them, Spinel on his shoulder, and Pyrite to his right. His hand reached out to pat the bear, only for the creature to nudge him and tilt its head.  
  
    Dareth blinked. “What?”  
  
    “Climb on.” Pyrite said.  
  
    He wanted to argue against that, after all he’d just had a long nap and some miracle tea, but in the end he went with it. Eventually he leaned forward, resting his head against Pyrite’s neck.  
  
    He could have fallen asleep again but the bear gave him a shake after they stopped. He sat up, seeing the ground ahead of them drop off.  
  
    “We built a path down to it over here.” Capulus pointed. “But watch your step.”   
  
    With that warning, Dareth climbed off Pyrite and planned to go the rest of the way on foot. He followed the crowd to the path that was carved out of the stone. The ones pushing the minecarts went first. One skullkin jumped into the cart, encouraging his friend to push it down the slope. His friend shoved it forward, jumping into the cart himself as it gained speed. The two cheered and waved their arms until the cart slammed into the wall at the bottom. Their bones split apart at the joints, flying into the air, but they were still laughing.  
  
    “Arrow, Clave, pull yourselves together.” One of the bigger skullkin shouted, hand on her hip.  
  
    The pair were quick to roll their heads around, gathering their bones back up. Dareth watched, almost fascinated by their ability to do that, until he finally noticed the river.  
  
    It was so dark down here he hadn’t even seen the pitch black water. Or was that even water. The texture of it was more like tar, bubbles coming to the surface and popping, spraying the substance into the air. As he tried to approach it the smell of fuel and rotten meat hit him like a wave. He cringed and stumbled back. What was even causing that?  
  
    He wished he hadn’t asked. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something sticking out of the river. It was a hand, half the skin and muscle on it gone, the bones in the fingers showing. The longer he stared at the surface the more he saw. Heads, torsos, limbs, all of the flesh slowly being stripped away by the tar.   
  
    Dareth stumbled back further, hand over his mouth so he didn’t puke.   
  
    “Everything alright?” Capulus asked.   
  
    “Is he serious?” Spinel muttered. “That’s gross, even by my standards.”  
  
    Dareth shook his head, glad the skullkin couldn’t understand the rat. “Just uh, caught me off guard. Is this how the river always is?”  
  
    “Oh, I thought you knew.” Capulus gestured to it. “This is where we come from.”   
  
    His mouth fell open. “What?”  
  
    “Skullkin emerge from the river.” The bigger skullkin approached him. “Those corpses rise up, they rot, and when it’s nothing but bones they sometimes gain new life and crawl out.” She shrugged. “Sometimes they don’t. The water makes for good fuel though, so we often collect it.”   
  
    He supposed that explained why they were all so calm around it, like another day out. In fact some of the skullkin were playing in it, tossing the sludge at each other.  
  
    Dareth shivered.   
  
    Just where did these bodies come from? Everywhere? Did the people buried in other realms just end up here eventually? With their spirits in the departed realm, it made sense that the skeletons had no memories.   
  
    But did that mean skullkin had new souls?  
  
    This was making his head hurt. He tried to ignore the thoughts for now. He debated helping them collect the fuel, but wasn’t sure if he should get near it. If that stuff was eating the skin off of the dead it probably wouldn’t be good for him.   
  
    The skullkin seemed to understand that, none of them asking for assistance as they filled up the buckets and minecarts. Sometimes they would pull out fingers or eyeballs, tossing them back into the river like they just found a stick or a stone.   
  
    “Perhaps we should go back up.” Pyrite commented as Dareth tried to get himself to stop shaking.  
  
    He took that advice, letting the bear lead him back up to the cliff where he sat down. Ruby hovered over him once again, patting his hair a few times. He returned the favor by plucking some gravel out of the hairs on her legs.   
  
    Dareth prayed this wouldn’t take much longer, that he could bust out of here soon. Being in the underworld had destroyed his sense of time. Just how much longer did he have before that curse took Ronin for good?  
  
    That curse stemmed from the underworld. It would kill him. And eventually his body would end up–  
  
    Dareth spared a quick glanced down at the river again before he curled up, trying to get the image out of his head.   
  
    He’d get out of here. He’d save Ronin. He had to.   
  
    Or he wouldn’t forgive himself.   
  
    He started shaking as he held back the sob that was trying to escape. Pyrite nudged against him before laying down. Dareth took the offer, half hiding himself in the bears fur as he fought to keep himself from crying. For once he tried to focus on the pain around his neck.   
  
    He wasn’t sure why he was such a wreck. Perhaps it was just everything hitting him at once. Or the looming possibility he might be too late.   
  
    “Come on, buddy.” Spinel climbed into his hair. “We’re almost there.”   
  
    He knew that. He did. Dareth took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.  
  
    Thankfully he managed to collect himself before the skullkin came back up, buckets and carts full to the brim. Dareth let them lead the way back, lingering far behind. Pyrite offered another ride, but he didn’t take it this time. He was worried if he stopped walking again he might not get back up.   
  
    When they got back to the site, Dareth went to work prying open the rest of the fuel caps as someone went to get some sort of funnel. They came back with a broken watering can, which wasn’t ideal but it would work well enough. Capulus helped load the tar into the can before Dareth used it to pour it into the car.  
  
    He wasn’t sure how much the vehicle could carry, decided to check in a minute. First he wanted to see if that would get it to start.   
  
    Since the skullkin at least had a basic idea of the controls, he let them hop into the driver seat again. The first go round the truck just sputtered. Dareth had them try again, a third time, and then a forth.  
  
    That one did it, the truck roared to life, rumbling loud enough it shook the ground. The skullkin cheered, someone throwing their head again.   
  
    “Alright,” Dareth climbed into the passenger seat. “Hold on, we’re not quite done yet. Gently drive her around and see how she does.”   
  
    Turns out she did fine. Dareth couldn’t hear anything that sounded out of the ordinary, although it’d be hard for him to know. It turned fine, stopped fine, not a single issue.  
  
    Was it really just the fuel?  
  
    Unbelievable.   
  
    The skullkin went about filling up the truck and the other two vehicles, while others argued about who go to go first. Even with their ability to cluster into the cars like clowns, it couldn’t fit all of them. Besides, Dareth had to use the truck to carry Pyrite and Ruby along with.   
  
    But really, he’d let them sort that out.   
  
    Capulus was staying behind for the time being, he at least knew that much. The skullkin wanted to harvest as many of the flowers as he could to take with them.   
  
    Dareth made sure to test the other two vehicles, glad there were no other issues. With everything in working order he took a short breather, allowing the skullkin to gather some supplies. Not like they needed everything. The vehicles should allow them to come back if need be.   
  
    For now Dareth focused on helping Pyrite onto the truck. The bear wasn’t happy, already trying to curl up in the corner the best he could. He seemed even less comfortable as skullkin piled in next to him. One poked him on the ear. Pyrite growled.   
  
    Dareth got into the passenger seat. Hopefully the horned skullkin who was driving would listen to directions to get to the bog. When the truck was full Ruby climbed on, her legs clinging to the sides. Dareth prayed she’d be okay up there with the speed they needed to go.   
  
    “You sure you know how this works?” Dareth glanced over the dashboard, not even able to read most of the dials.   
  
    “Yeah, there’s some instructions.” The skeleton held up a sheet of paper covered in notes and drawings. “Just says drive super fast to open a portal.”  
  
    That wasn’t convincing. Dareth swallowed and settled into his chair. Not like he had a choice at this point. He rubbed the skin under his necklace again, even more rough than before. Something about the gold felt warmer than normal.   
  
    All the cars were loaded up. The skullkin were more than ready to go. The chatter from them was almost louder than the engines that they kept revving up to spread the excitement.   
  
    Dareth took a deep breath.  
  
    “All right, let’s pray this works.” He sure hoped so, because if the speed didn’t work they’d either end up in a wall or flying off a cliff and he wasn’t sure what would be worse.   
  
    The horned skullkin didn’t hesitate to shift gears and stomp on the gas.   
  
    The sudden speed pressed Dareth against the seat. Spinel dove into his shirt again. He was glad there was plenty of space for the truck as it rushed forward, but he knew it wouldn’t last. The underworld wasn’t built like that.   
  
    He held on as tight as he could to the door. Not like the thing had seatbelts. The skullkin were all cheering. Dareth glanced back to see Pyrite trying to curl up even more, paws over his nose.   
  
    God, if Dareth was going to die flying off a cliff into the abyss he could deal with that, but they didn’t deserve to go with him.   
  
    Speaking of cliffs, he could see one coming up. He half expected the skullkin to slow down, but he didn’t. He pressed the gas harder. The car roared as it kept going.   
  
    Dareth wanted to shut his eyes but he didn’t. He kept watching, waiting for a portal to open. It had to open.   
  
    He opened his mouth to scream a second before the wheels reached the edge of the cliff, but before he could make a sound the dark space ahead of them ripped open into a pale blue light.  
  
    Dareth flinched, eyes squeezed shut, but he jerked them open when he felt the car land on solid ground.   
  
    Sunlight, daylight, Ninjago city.  
  
    It worked.   
  
    Dareth grinned, not giving a damn that the giant truck was inches from hitting the other cars on the road as it sped along. The skullkin in the back were borderline rioting. One threw a rock through a car window.   
  
    “The toxic bogs.” Dareth pointed. “Quick, just drop me off there and I can–”  
  
    Something caught in his throat. His voice stopped working. He coughed a few times. “The hell?” It still sounded scratchy, like it was only half there.   
  
    With the euphoria gone he was far too aware of the burning around his neck.   
  
    The skullkin seemed to notice, not slowing down as he kept driving. He swerved around cars and people, thankfully not hitting anyone, but it didn’t keep the citizens from screaming. No doubt Dareth would hear about this later.   
  
    “Hey, you okay?” Spinel had to screech to be heard over the engine.   
  
    “Throat burns.” Dareth managed to croak out. “We have to move.”   
  
    “Take it off?” Pyrite spoke up from behind him. “There’s no need for it now, is there?”  
  
    Dareth considered it, but remembered Ruta’s warning. If she didn’t cancel the spell there might be ill side effects. He couldn’t risk that. Not when he was so close.  
  
    “Pyrite is correct.” Ruby said. “You should remove it.”  
  
    “Can’t,” it hurt to talk. It felt like the air was being ripped from his lungs. “Not yet.”   
  
    It was a miracle he held out until they reached the bogs. Dareth stumbled out of the truck, barely managing a thank you. He tried to run forward, but the pain was too much. His hand wrapped around his throat. Every time the gold hit his skin it felt like a hot dagger. He gripped the metal, trying to keep it away, but it seemed to try and cling to his skin.   
  
    “Get on.” Pyrite ran up beside him. “And summon this witch of yours.”  
  
    Dareth didn’t argue. He climbed up, but was barely able to hold on as Pyrite ran through the bogs. Ruby darted ahead, angling around the trees and checking for water or quicksand.   
  
    “Take it off.” Spinel hissed as she also tugged at the necklace. “It’s hurting you.”   
  
    He was tempted, but he was so close. He tried to call out Ruta’s name but his voice cracked. It wasn’t already gone was it? That couldn’t be happening.   
  
    Suddenly Pyrite skidded to a halt. Between that and Dareth’s poor grip he was flung off, landing on the ground in front of the bear. He coughed as he rolled over, praying the flowers weren’t crushed in the process.   
  
    “Oh, you made it.”  
  
    Dareth’s gaze shot up.   
  
    Ruta stood there but soon crouched down, closer to eye level. “Well, just kidding, I figured you would. Future was looking pretty sure of that.” She gave him a wink. “Got the flower too, I see.”   
  
    “Take it.” So he could still talk, thank god. “And dispel my necklace.”   
  
    Ruta hummed as she studied him. She reached out, fingers sliding under the pendant as she lifted it up.   
  
    “Well, problem with that.” She said.   
  
    “What?”   
  
    “It’s not something I can dispel, and by the looks of things it’s too late to take it off.”   
  
    Dareth’s eyes went wide. He reached up and undid the latch, expecting the chain to just fall to the ground.  
  
    It didn’t budge. He tried to hook his fingers under it but he couldn’t. The metal didn’t even feel like it was the right shape. It was melting.  
  
    “You–” He wanted to be angry, but the burning was so intense. He was starting to feel it in his lungs.  
  
    “Sorry, guess I might have left some things out.” Ruta snatched the bundle of flowers off his bag. “See, these flowers, great for curing wounds and extending life. It’s got quite a number of properties to it.” She opened up the package, rolling some petals between her fingers. “But that curse is close to death, and these flowers can’t just do that on their own.”   
  
    Just what was she saying? What did that have to do with anything? “So you lied?”  
  
    He heard Pyrite growl behind him.  
  
    Ruta held up her hands. “No, I just omitted something. For an elixir or charm to reverse death, you need more than just a fancy flower. This cure in particular requires some kind... sacrifice.”   
  
    Dareth’s heart stopped.  
  
    “It’s not specific, could be anything, but hey.” She gave a shrug. “With that helpful spell I gave you, you’re already going to lose your voice. Might as well give it to me then, huh?”   
  
    He stared at her for the longest time. Ruby hovered above, but Ruta didn’t pay her any mind, clearly not worried about a possible threat.   
  
    “You planned that from the start.” He croaked out.   
  
    Ruta smiled at him. “Of course, that’s easy for me to do after all. But hey, if not your voice you can just give me an eye, or a lung, or your heart.” She stuck out her tongue. “But I think at this point your voice is the best option. It’s gone either way at this rate.”   
  
    Damn, played like a fiddle huh? He wasn’t sure if her tricking him was what made him want to cry or the fact his entire neck was on fire.   
  
    “Don’t be so upset, you want that cure don’t you?” Her hand moved to his chin, making him look up. “But I told you before, all spells come with a price. It’s never free.”   
  
    He found it hard to think through the pain. He swore he heard Spinel muttering that if Ruta didn’t let go of him she’d bite her hand.   
  
    But in the end it wouldn’t have mattered. Tricky spell or not Dareth would have had to give up something if he wanted that cure.   
  
    “You don’t have much time to waste, Dareth.” Ruta said when he didn’t respond. “So I’d think quick.  
  
    “Just what are you willing to pay to get him back?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao
> 
> Welp ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	8. Receipt

    Dareth stumbled up the steps to his apartment above the bar. Exhaustion was trying so hard to take over, but he refused to let it. He was almost there. It was almost over. Then he could rest.   
  
    It still didn’t keep his stomach from cramping out of hunger, or his legs from aching from all the walking, or the lingering burn on his neck from itching.   
  
    He gripped the small jar tighter in one hand while the other used the rail to pull him up the steps.   
  
    Almost there.   
  
    He refused to collapse, even when he got to his room. The cure Ruta made was a type of paste. She told him to put it over Ronin’s wound and his eyes to draw it all out. Sounded weird, but Dareth wouldn’t argue.   
  
    He almost stumbled back when he saw Ronin. All that black from the curse covered his face by this point. At least the fear kicked woke him up as he got to work.  
  
    He hoped Ronin’s eyes didn’t have to be open, because Dareth couldn’t imagine how much it’d hurt to wake up with gritty paste in your eye. He wasn’t even sure he had to put it on top of his prosthetic eye but he’d do it anyway, just in case.  
  
    But first Dareth rolled Ronin over. The stab wound was an angry glow at this point, like the light went clean through his body. Dareth tried not to think about as he applied the cure, feeling the paste between his fingers.   
  
    With that done he moved to the eyes, praying over and over again that this worked.   
  
    If it didn’t... If it didn’t...  
  
    When he figured he applied enough he left the jar on the nightstand. He simply wiped his hands clean on his pants, not like they could get much dirtier at this point. He finally collapsed, leaning his back against the bed. He wanted to sleep for a week.   
  
    He thought he should watch to make sure the cure was working, but he was already dozing off, only to be jerked out of it by sudden cursing.  
  
    “The fuck?” Ronin shouted as he shot up in the bed. “The hell is on my face?” The man tried to rub the substance away. By now it was dry, crumbling into powder. “Augh, fuck, it’s in my eye.”   
  
    Dareth forced himself up once more, taking Ronin’s arm. The man jerked in his grip.  
  
    “Who’s there?” Ronin reached out with his right arm, hand resting on Dareth’s cheek. He frowned, apparently not recognizing what he was feeling. “Answer me.”   
  
    Dareth shook his head and pulled Ronin to the bathroom.   
  
    “Hey, let go!” Ronin tried to pull free. “Who are you, damn it?”   
  
    Dareth just tightened his grip and kept going. As soon as he got Ronin through the bathroom door he turned on the sink. At least the running water was enough of an indication, and the man calmed down. He paused for a second before moving toward the sound and using the sink to wash his face. The stuff on his back was crumbling off, falling onto the floor. Dareth stared at it for a moment, knowing he’d have to clean, but he wasn’t about to worry about that right now.  
  
    Ronin floundered for a towel. Dareth handed him one. The man dried off his face before finally looking up, looking shocked.  
  
    “Dareth? What the hell happened to you?” He stepped closer, hand reaching out to touch his face. “Why didn’t you say anything?”  
  
    His chest ached for a second but he just tried to smile and shrugged. How was he supposed to explain all this?   
  
    Ronin’s gaze moved down, and then so did it his hand, fingers brushing over the newly formed scar on his neck. It made it burn worse, so Dareth pushed his hand away.   
  
    “Dareth, what happened?” Ronin’s tone was much more serious now.   
  
    But all Dareth could do was shake his hand and point to his neck.   
  
    Thankfully, Ronin understood. “You can’t talk?”  
  
    Another shake of the head.   
  
    “Well, okay, hang on then.” Ronin darted out of the bathroom. Dareth followed after, watching him scramble around the living room. Eventually he found a notepad and a pen sitting near the back. He tore off the page of stock notes and left them on the coffee table as he came back over.   
  
    Even with the objects in hand, Dareth didn’t know where to begin. It would take far too long to explain everything.   
  
    So he tried to summarize it the best he could.   
  
    “Went to get a cure for you. You were under a curse. Had to go to the underworld to get an ingredient for it, but in order to make the cure the witch needed something else. So I gave her my voice.”   
  
    Well, that left out a number of important details, but Dareth could go over it when he was less tired.  
  
    Ronin just took in the text for a second. His eyebrows pressed together, his expressions easier to read without his eyepatch on. Then he pressed his lips together before gritting his teeth. “What do you mean you gave her your voice? Like... you can’t talk anymore? Ever again?”  
  
    Dareth shook his head. Honestly, he couldn’t even make a sound, not even laugh. He’d tried.   
  
    Something flashed in Ronin’s eye. He took a half step back, hand running through his hair.   
  
    “That... you can’t be serious.” He said. “You gave up that? You ran into the underworld? Why did you do all that just to help me?”  
  
    Dareth frowned and went back to writing. “You would have died if I didn’t.”   
  
    Ronin narrowed his eyes. “You could have gotten the ninja to help.”  
  
    Another shake of the head. “They aren’t around.”  
  
    “That doesn’t matter, you– Look at you.” Ronin gestured. “You could have died. You lost your voice. Why would you risk all that just to help me?”   
  
    Something twisted in Dareth’s chest. Why did he? Because it was his fault. Because he needed to be responsible. Because it was time he faced something head on instead of just bluffing his way through.  
  
    Because...  
  
    He scribbled on the page as fast as he could before holding it up. “Why did you take the hit from that monster for me? Because I’m willing to bet it’s the same reason.”   
  
    Ronin almost looked offended, like he’d been accused of something. “I just... I don’t know.” He muttered. “I couldn’t let it hurt you. I couldn’t live with myself if I lost you.”   
  
    Dareth gave a slow nod.   
  
    Ronin sighed. “Fine, okay, I understand but I still can’t comprehend it. You didn’t have give all that up for my sake.”  
  
    More scribbling. “It was my fault that thing got out. It was only right that I should fix it.”   
  
    “But what about your voice?” Ronin almost shouted. “Now I’m never going to be able to hear you sing again.”  
  
    It was evident the comment slipped out as shock came over Ronin’s face and his cheeks started going red. Dareth smiled. Giddiness was trying to energize him again but he was far too exhausted to do much.   
  
    So he went back to writing. “Do you still want to do that dinner date?”   
  
    Ronin laughed, hand going through his hair again. “Yeah, better late than never, right? Though I think we should both get cleaned up, and it looks like you could use a nap.”  
  
    Dareth nodded, only for his stomach to twist and growl so loud it practically echoed through the room. Now it was his turn for his cheeks to go red.  
  
    Ronin laughed again. “Okay, nevermind. How about I make you a snack while you go shower.”  
  
    Dareth wanted to insist he didn’t have to do that, but when he opened his mouth nothing happened. By the time he moved to write it down Ronin was already heading towards the stairs.   
  
    Oh well, a snack would be good, but Dareth couldn’t promise he wouldn’t pass out in the shower.   
  
    Fear woke him up quick though when he heard Ronin scream downstairs. He panicked, wondering what would cause it when he remembered he’d let all his animal companions inside.  
  
    Uh oh.  
  
    Dareth rushed down the steps, seeing Ronin pressed against the wall. Pyrite sat in front of a table that Spinel was standing on. Ruby was up closer to the ceiling, a wonder how she managed to squeeze inside. She was already making webbing up above.   
  
    “What the hell? Is that a tiger widow?” Ronin looked like he was trying to reach for a gun he didn’t have.   
  
    Dareth put a hand on his shoulder, gesturing with the other one. He slowly lowered his hand, trying to indicate that Ronin could calm down.   
  
    Crap, he left the pad upstairs. Dareth went to the bar to pull out another small one that he planned to use to take orders on.   
  
    “These are my friends.” He wrote. “The bear is Pyrite. The spider is Ruby. The rat is Spinel.”  
  
    “Friends?” Ronin looked at him like he grew another head. “Seriously, what the hell happened while you were gone?”  
  
    Dareth smiled. He tried to laugh, maybe it looked like he was, but no sound came out. “Too long of a story for now. But they won’t hurt you.” To prove it he took Ronin’s arm and brought him over. The man stayed at arms length, clearly afraid, but he didn’t try to run.   
  
    Dareth gave Pyrite a wave and gestured at Ronin.  
  
    “Ah, is this the friend of yours?” The bear said. Even with Dareth’s voice gone he could still understand all of them. “It’s nice to meet him.” Pyrite stuck his nose out to sniff Ronin’s hand.   
  
    “Haha, I like him.” Spinel said. “He looks like a street man.”   
  
    Dareth shook his head.   
  
    Ruby extended a leg from above. Ronin shrunk back for a second, but eventually reached up to tap against it. That’s all the greeting the spider seemed to offer, not saying anything else.  
  
    “So, what?” Ronin said. “Are they just staying here?”  
  
    Dareth wasn’t sure. The animals never said where they wanted to go, they just kept on following him. Perhaps they’d settle down later. For now he answered the question with a shrug.   
  
    “I... fine, whatever. Snacks.” Ronin pulled away and moved to the kitchen. “If you’re sure they won’t hurt me I’ll believe you.”   
  
    “Snacks?” Spinel jumped down from the table and ran after Ronin.   
  
    The man jumped, scrambling away. “Augh! What does she want?”  
  
    Dareth wrote in big letters so Ronin could see from where he was standing. “Food.”  
  
    “Wh– oh fine, but only a bit. Hurry up and go shower I’ll be up in a few.” Ronin went through the kitchen door, Spinel close on his heel.  
  
    Dareth could hear the man cursing as the rat was no doubt running around his ankles in the kitchen. Dareth would have to find a way to explain to her that she can’t just go anywhere in the kitchen, but he’d do that later.   
  
    For now he just wanted a shower, and some food, and a nap, and maybe when he woke up Ronin would still be there and he could kiss him until they were both breathless.   
  
    Yeah, that sounded like a plan.   
  
¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$¢$  
  
    Dareth stretched, letting his back pop. Only two hours after opening and already this busy. It wasn’t entirely surprising. Opening night for Laffy’s had been a hit and over the past three months that popularity only grew and grew.   
  
    Ruby still hung from the ceiling, dead still, letting the customers think she was just a decoration. Pyrite was napping upstairs, although he always came down if he heard someone stirring up trouble. Most folks wouldn’t argue with a grizzly on two legs.  
  
    And Spinel was... somewhere. Probably sneaking around to pick up dropped food. Dareth wouldn’t complain, it was less for him to sweep up later.   
  
    He debated hiring help if it got much busier, but somehow he managed even without his voice. He kept notecards on hand for most of the typical questions and answers, and had been learning sign language, although most customers didn’t know it themselves.   
  
    With a lull in orders he set about taking all the dirty cups to the back to load into the dishwasher, pulling out the fresh ones. He brought them back to the bar, making sure they were dry before putting them up on the shelves.   
  
    “Hm, what’s the special today?”  
  
    Dareth almost dropped the glass at the sound of that voice. He spun around, seeing Ronin leaning against the bar, grin on his face.   
  
    Dareth wished he could shout his name, but settled for grinning and rushing over. Ronin didn’t manage to get another word out before Dareth was holding his face, kissing him.   
  
    “Yeah, yeah, missed you too.” Ronin said after he pulled away. “Sorry it took so long, but it seems you’re doing pretty well here.”  
  
    “Tired.” He signed. “You can help if you’re bored.”   
  
    Ronin studied the signs for a moment, still not used to the language, but he was getting it. “Yeah, I guess I owe you that much. Let me go up and actually look work decent though, yeah?” He gave a slight smile. “Seen any familiar faces lately?”   
  
    Dareth wasn’t sure how to sign all that so he got out his notepad. “Ninja came in a group last week. Didn’t realize I hadn’t seen them in so long. Had fun explaining my voice.”   
  
    Out of habit he reached up to rub his fingers over the scar that was now hidden under a red bandanna, one similar to Ronin’s. The man had given it to him a few days before the bar opened, knowing Dareth didn’t want people asking questions. At this point he wore it every day.   
  
    “Still running around looking for Wu, huh?” Ronin sighed. “Well, that’s their business. I’ll go get ready to help out.” He reached out, gripping one of Dareth’s suspenders and pulling him into another kiss.   
  
    “Stop smooching on the job.”  
  
    Dareth jerked back at the sound of Spinel’s voice. She was sitting right on the bar counter, and was quick to climb up his arm to his shoulder.   
  
    Dareth frowned at her and pointed toward a corner.   
  
    “It’s fine, they won’t see me when I do this.” She giggled and wiggled her way under his bandanna to hide.   
  
    Ronin had no idea what either of them were saying, so he just shook his head. “Fine, to be continued. Be back in a few.” He tapped the counter and walked off, just in time for a few more customers to come over asking for another drink.   
  
    Dareth got back to work. He wasn’t sure why he was smiling. Because business was booming? Because Ronin was back? Because Spinel wouldn’t sit still as she tried to settle against his neck?   
  
    Whatever it was, he didn’t stop.   
  
    Even with everything that happened, he decided it was well worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> There'll be an intermission fic of shorts to go over some scenes in seasons 8 and 9 before I get to the next fic in this series, but I can't make promises of when I'll write those


End file.
